Darenberg Love Grass Shiraz

Description

The NameLovegrass is a weed that grows in the vineyards and its sticky flowers affectionately attach themselves to vineyard workers’ socks. This Shiraz will linger with you in the same way that the flowers do!The VintageA warm and dry spring and summer followed by further dry conditions throughout harvest meant a number of things. Firstly disease pressure was negligible, the vast majority of fruit being very clean. Secondly yields were down. Finally ripening happened relatively quickly. From a quality perspective in regards to reds, these conditions produced wines of incredible colour and flavour. Dark, brooding wines with great volumes of fruit and layers of chewy, velvety tannin structure. Big, concentrated wines but beautifully balanced.The WinemakingSmall batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to open fermenters. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation, the wine is basket pressed and then aged in French oak for up to 18 months.The CharacteristicsThe 2013 Love Grass is a big, generous McLaren Vale Shiraz. An appealing infusion of liquorice, blackberry, dark chocolate-coated cherry ripe, earthen notes and a whisper of woodsmoke. Far from being shy, this wine is packed with power and personality. The mouthfeel shudders with intense fruits and is complimented by a chewy, almost rustic tannin structure. The small addition of a range varieties other than Shiraz, adds more layers to the already complex nature of the wine and in some respects provides poise and focus, as a number of those varieties are characterised by their acidity and elegance. Whilst enjoyable now in a generous and brooding sense, there is likewise no need to rush into this one as it will continue to evolve and mellow for some years to come. – d’Arenberg