'The Landau' Syrah

Description :

GI: Adelaide Hills (Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia)
Site(s): Estate vineyard
Each single vineyard wine is named after a horse-drawn carriage (Michael's grandfather was an avid collector). The Landau takes its name from a very special carriage with facing seats and often a low shell to give maximum visibility of the occupants and their clothing, a popular choice for royalty.
Vineyard notes: The Murdoch Hill vineyard is situated in the cool climate Adelaide Hills, near the township of Oakbank, in an undulating valley 420m in elevation. The soil structure is predominately sandy loam over clay, with varying levels of ironstone, quartz and schist rock. These vines are cane pruned with vertical shoot positioning (VSP) with extensive shoot thinning, canopy trimming and bunch thinning to control the yield. The syrah for Landau is grown on a predominately east-facing slope, avoiding the harsh afternoon sun.
Winemaking: Minimal winemaking influence is practiced to ensure the characters of the vineyard thrive, with varying levels of whole bunches and whole berries included in the small 1-ton open ferments. Oak maturation is kept to a minimum with older French oak used for a period of 9-10 months.