Winemaker's Notes:

The aroma of the Tin Cows Shiraz has lovely pepper, plum, blueberry and black cherry characteristics. The palate stays true to these flavors, full and ripe with excellent tannins and structure.

The Tin Cows Shiraz is a blend of Yarra Valley and Heathcote fruit, 50% of each. 2004 was a cool year in both the Yarra Valley, and the Heathcote giving elegance to the wines and providing ideal harvest conditions in February and March.

Heathcote, just north of the Great Dividing Ranges, is considerably warmer than the Yarra Valley, though both are considerably cool. This region has gained an excellent reputation for producing Shiraz with power and finesse. The deep red soils of the Mt. Camel range provide an ideal home for the variety.

The Tin Cows Shiraz fruit is crushed and de-stemmed into a combination of static, rotary and open pot fermenters. This combination helps build both the fruit profile and the tannin structure of the final wine. The wines are pressed and settled before transfer into French oak barrels (10% new) for malolactic fermentation. The wine spends about 18 months in oak.

By blending the structured Heathcote fruit with the elegance from the YarraValley fruit, the wine maintains its full palate and spicy characters, yet is bolstered by fine, long tannins that add to a complex and lengthy finish.

Reviews:

“ Rating 92.
Fresh, spicy and vibrant black fruits are supported by supple tannins; a really enjoyable wine. ” — James Halliday, Wine Companion 2008

“ 90 Points. ” — Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

“ Rating 92.
A great, soft, easy drinking Yarra Valley wine. Look for the black cherry and blueberry fruits it oozes these flavours. Nice and spicy, too, with a velvet finish. ” — The Courier Mail June 2007

“ A combination of Yarra and Heathcote shiraz, this wine offers a mix of ripe red and blackberry flavours. Midlength and finishing with soft tannins. Lots of flavour. ” — Ken Gargett, The Courier Mail July 2007