2014 Zonte's Footstep Lake Doctor Shiraz

Just east of the famous McLaren Vale wine region lies the somewhat neglected Langhorne Creek, a rather monotonous landscape on an ancient flood plain. Here, “a hill is something you can’t see a car behind”, say the locals. The region's distinguishing feature is nearby Lake Alexandrina which opens into the Southern Ocean, which in turn expands all the way to Antarctica.

The fruit for this wine is sourced from a vineyard sited on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, where each Summer afternoon a reliable house-cooling breeze known as the ‘Lake Doctor’ arrives from the ocean, reviving vines and vignerons, lowering night temperatures and extending the ripening period (grapes generally ripen a good two weeks later than in McLaren Vale). Consequently, the best wines from Langhorne Creek possess a terrific depth of flavour while retaining a sense of freshness.

A Cracking new release from Zonte’s Footstep that over delivers big time

Aged in combination of new and seasoned French and American oak for up to 12 months. Outstanding colour saturation displaying an impenetrable inky black core with a deep dark crimson black hue. Pronounced blackberry and liquorice aromas bound from the glass followed by some inky black cherries, vanillin confectionary and spice. Rich, luscious fruit flavours of blackberry, black cherry and liquorice saturate the palate over a background of inky vanillin cedar with a blackpepper infused finish. The opulent, plush mouthfeel is counterpointed by a sturdily built tannin structure. Long liquorice, black cherry, blackberry, toasty vanillin cedar and pepper aftertaste.
Cellar 5-6 years.
Alc 14.5%