2005 Journeys End Vineyards The Embarkment Shiraz

During the 1980’s, the big innovations in the Australian wine industry were to do with winemaking, however, in the decade of the 90’s and up to now, the innovation has been in the vineyard.  Australia now has sufficient  acreage planted, in a diverse range of sites to be able to confidently say that one district produces better quality grapes on a consistent basis than another district, and furthermore within each district there are specific, small, discreet sites that produce exceptional wines from only one grape variety. The search for great sites examines the interaction of various elements of micro climate, rainfall distribution, drainage, soil profiles, orientation, slope, etc. Essentially, this is the concept of  “Terroir”. It is such very specific terroirs that Journeys End Vineyards is concerned with. Skilled vineyard management is then paramount - great grapes make great wine. Indeed, there can be no denying that 90% of the quality of any wine is made in the vineyard.

Arguably the greatest expression of terroir in McLaren Vale comes from the Shiraz grape (many of Australia’s Grange growers are located in McLaren Vale!) It is Shiraz that consistently finds its finest expression on a level that is way above any other variety. Despite this boon, the realities of a highly competitive market place demand that Journeys End’s wines must over-deliver on quality in order capture the public’s imagination. In order to achieve the desired flavour profiles for the Journey’s End Embarkment Shiraz, yields are kept low, irrigation is minimal and vineyards are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner with minimum use of chemicals. In the winemaking process, Journeys End winemaker, Ben Riggs, likes to run a number of different types of ferments, which also gives him additional blending options.

There are no fixed rules as to the amount of new or old oak that is used. French, American, Russian or other. Each season demands a different proportion of new and old oak. Consequently, a variety of top quality barrels are selected to enhance the fruit of each wine and add further ‘layers’ of complexity. Even in the final blending process, Ben may heavily ‘cull’ barrels that do not come up to standard in order to isolate only the very finest wines. The end result is that the respective price points of the Journeys End Shiraz wines clearly reflect their quality. With the release of the 2005 Embarkment Shiraz, it may be more accurate to say, 'with Journeys Ends wines you get more than what you pay for!'.

Tasting notes: An outstanding Shiraz, showing elegance with varietal strength. Opaque black crimson colour with black crimson hue, with good cling to the walls of the glass. Aroma of liquorice, blackberry and spice. The palate delivers a sense of refinement which is a characteristic of 2005 McLaren Vale Reds. Flavours of spice, plum and liquorice abound. Fine grained tannins, excellent balance. Very long aftertaste of plum, spice and liquorice.
Cellar 4-5 years (2011-2012)
Alc/Vol: 14.5%