Darenberg Footbolt Shiraz

Description

The Name Originally known as The Old Vine Shiraz, the named was changed in 1996 to honour Joseph Osborn.Joe was a successful racehorse owner and Footbolt was the pride of his stable. In 1912 he made the hard decision to sell his horses to purchase the d’Arenberg property.The Vintage There was ample winter and spring rain which provided good sub soil moisture and resulted in healthy canopies and good vigour. Summer conditions were very mild. Grapes ripened gracefully with only a few small rain episodes, enough to keep the vines fresh and vibrant. Rainfall was only a little over average for the first months of the year.The Winemaking Small batches of grapes are crushed gently and then transferred to five tonne headed down open fermenters. These batches remain separate until final blending.Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and then transferred to a mixture of new and used French and American oak barriques to complete fermentation.The barrel ferments are aged on lees, and there is no racking until final blending. This wine does not undertake fining or filtration prior to bottling.The Characteristics The cool ripening conditions of the 2011 vintage have helped craft a wine that is refined yet structured. The nose is incredibly lifted and fragrant, red fruits and peppery spices feature strongly. As the wine breathes we are struck by a raft of darker and more earthy aromas such as mulberry, black plum, soot and baking spice.The palate is pleasantly bright with lively acidity and elegant fruit weight. A generous dose of mineral fruit tannin ensures the wine is structured and wonderfully long.As this wine ages it will develop more generosity and complexity through the mid palate, but the acid and tannin structure will ensure it stays lively and long. – d’Arenberg