Spice Trader 2014
Langhorne Creek
Just as the spice traders of old, we risk all in search of exotic flavors. We join you in the hunt for those elusive spices that fascinate our palates and capture our imaginations. Wine should be an adventure. Start your adventure now with this smooth easy drinking Shiraz Cabernet blend.
VINEYARD
The Langhorne creek climate and the sandy loam soils make for a Shiraz that is savory, rich and yet balanced and restrained. The vineyards are also notably affected by the The “Lake Doctor” phenomenon, a cool ocean breeze that comes across the nearby and substantial Lake Alexandrina every afternoon and moderates temperatures, bringing them down 30-40 degrees. The overall heat that vineyards see, as a result, in some years is more equivalent to a cool climate region like Alsace, yet the fruit still achieves fantastic, intense ripeness.
WINEMAKING
The Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are fermented separately with specific parcels included for their ability to offer greater complexity and character. Time in barrel, 12 months, permits a softening of the wine’s structure. It also offers a complex expression of the fruit and helps accumulate the exotic notes of spice. The barrels are 2-3 years old French and American oak hogsheads.
VINTAGE
The 2014, 52% Shiraz and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from a gentle year that has yielded wines of great potential. The growing period presented a minor frost event in September and a cool early flowering period. Reduced and variable fruit set in early flowering blocks impacted yields particularly for early Cabernet Sauvignon.
TASTING NOTE
This is an intense glass of juicy and delicious red. A burst of dark primary fruit hits the palate with a compote of blueberries, blackberries and currants. These powerful fruit notes can engulf the uninitiated, but waves of spice, fresh spearmint and dried herbs can be discovered by seasoned flavor explorers.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
Appellation
Langhorne Creek
Suggested Retail Price
$17.00
