2020 Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz

Water Wheel Vineyards, located in the Bendigo district, were established in 1972, however, it wasn’t until 1989 when the Cumming family purchased the winery and 20 acres of vineyard that it began to establish a market presence. With a philosophy of producing rich ripe flavour filled wines that delivered value way beyond their miserly price point, Water Wheel vineyards quickly established a very loyal following during the early 1990’s to the point where in the later part of the decade their Shiraz was in such high demand that they sold out within months of release.
The same philosophy remains at Water Wheel today, it’s just that things are done on a much larger scale with the group now having total plantings that exceeds 300 acres. Yields are capped at 3 tonnes per acre, which explains the concentration of flavour found in these wines. The winemaking is straightforward with fermentation taking place in open stainless steel fermenters. The finished wine is then matured in 2-5 year old American oak hogsheads for 24 months.
Dense inky black core with a brick to dark red black tinged hue. Heady liquorice top notes waft out of the glass followed by blackberry, toasty vanillin oak, earth and blackpepper scents. Thick, rich, concentrated and voluptuously textured, the palate is engulfed with succulent black cherry, liquorice and blackberry fruits which sit over a blackpepper infused back drop of vanillin oak and scorched earth. Sturdy yet velvet smooth tannins with a long toasty and pepper laced finish that has a liqueur like intensity to it.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 14.9%