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2014 Summerfield Shiraz

Pyrenees, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
$24. 99
Bottle
$299.88 Dozen
Cellar: 3 - 5 Years (2019-2021)
ABV: 14.1%
Closure: Cork

Summerfield is a small family winery established by Ian Summerfield, whose family have lived and worked in the Pyrenees for over 100 years. It was in the 1960’s when farming was on a downturn that the Summerfield family made the decision to sell a section of the property to Walter Henning who proceeded to plant it to vines, which today are the original plantings of Taltarni.

Ian Summerfield drew inspiration from his neighbour’s endeavours and amidst challenging times for the farming industry, planting grapevines seemed a viable alternative to the other crops Ian and his family had previously produced, and so in the early 1970’s he planted 10 acres of predominantly Shiraz vines. Early crops were sold to Great Western (now Seppelts) and Chateau Remy (now Blue Pyrenees), however, as Ian’s knowledge in wine production and confidence in the future of the industry grew he made the decision to build a winery and employ industry legend Leo Hurley as winemaker, who had 50 years experience at Seppelts. Today with his son Mark in charge of winemaking, Summerfield are one of the Pyrenees top producers.

A superbly crafted Pyrenees Shiraz with layers of rich succulent fruit effortlessly gliding across the palate.

Outstanding colour displaying an impenetrable inky black core with a very deep dark purple black hue. Scented aromas of ripe black cherry, liquorice and blackberry arise from the glass with an undercurrent of vanillin cedar and faint spearmint. Rich and juicy the palate is filled with succulent dark fruit flavours of blackberry, liquorice and dark plum which overlay vanillin oak, faint spearmint and light spice. The velvety tannin structure melding perfectly into the luscious fruits creating a slippery mouthfeel. Excellent length with a long conclusion of ripe blackberries, liquorice, dark plums, spicy vanillin cedar and faint spearmint infusions.
Cellar 5-6 years.
Alc 14.1%

Other Reviews….
The saints be praised: a winemaker who uses cork (of high quality) in his cheapest red, screwcaps for the best. Superb, deep crimson-purple, 30% whole bunches, American oak, with the complex texture shared to a lesser or greater degree by all the Summerfield Shirazs; also spice, pepper and licorice stitched through the primary plum and black fruit flavours. Drink by 2039.
94 points
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion