The Hedonist Shiraz

Wine information: Walter Clappis has been making wine for 25 years and is considered one of Australia’s most outstanding Winemakers, being the only Winemaker to have ever won the Dan Murphy Trophy three times. During the 25 years that Walter owned the Ingoldby Winery he amassed a total of 37 trophies, 124 gold medals including the highly prestigious Bushing King Award for the most outstanding red wine. Walter Clappis has always made wine employing the most traditional methods: open fermentation and basket pressing. His vineyards follow Biodynamic methods and do not use pesticides or herbicides. All the wines reflect a purity which is consistent with the Winemaker and his philosophies. The Hedonist employs traditional methods of winemaking, through the use of open fermentation and a basket press. Fermentation is usually completed in small oak barrels. This method is adopted to increase the overall complexity and integration of oak through the wine.

The fruit for the The Hedonist Shiraz is grown biodynamically in their vineyard situated in the Willunga foothills, McLaren Vale. Warm Summer days are cooled by evening sea breezes from St Vincent’s Gulf, which lies a close proximity to the West. The soil is rich loam over clay with patches of underlying limestone, giving the wine a rich and fullness of palate. After gentle crushing, the must was pumped into traditional open fermenters with twice daily pumping over and hand plunging. Fermentation continued at up to 30 degrees centigrade ensuring optimum extraction of long chain soft tannins. Approximately 25% of the wine was run off skins to complete fermentation in new French Oak. The remainder received additional maceration to extract further ripe tannins from the skins. Finally the wine was racked off skins into settling tanks then into 70% new French oak and 30% one year old American oak for 18 months. Bottled unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Deep red/purple with crimson hues offering an unmistakeable McLaren Vale Shiraz nose. Violet fragrance, spicy, peppery, toasty oak and complex barrel ferment characters shine through. A mouthfilling wine, full and flavoursome with berry fruits, tinges of oak, but above all; soft and velvety. Palate lingers well after the wine has been swallowed.

Food & Wine match: Delicious served with grilled medium rare dry aged rib-eye steak or other roasted red meats.

 
     

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