This is a single vineyard wine – mechanically harvested in the cool of the night and delivered to Nugan Estate winery for destemming and cold maceration for 48 hours at 50°F. Whole berry primary fermentation took place in a combination of open, small, static and rotary fermenters at 75°F, with a specialized yeast strain selected to produce distinctly varietal wines, with no interference over the natural varietal character of the grapes. The wine remained on skins for a further 7 days enabling tannin polymerization and color extraction, prior to being pressed to a combination of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels, for 14 months of maturation. Following this, all parcels were tasted and graded ahead of blending, filtration and bottling in the new year. The Nugan Estate Single Vineyard Collection is a label dedicated to showcasing the best signature varietals from Australia’s finest wine growing regions. It’s otherwise known as the “Regional Hero” concept. The winemaking team at Nugan Estate work hard to craft each wine so it reflects its unique varietal and regional characteristics. Perched in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, above the township of Kangarilla, McLaren Parish Vineyard with its sandy duplex soils and sclerophyll woodland surroundings, produces deeply colored fruit with thick skins. The site’s higher altitude and cooler conditions, enable a longer ripening period, resulting in wines of persistence, elegance, and poise. While McLaren Vale is already well known for making some of the world’s best Shiraz, there are pockets within it that are extra special. This is truly a remarkable site, as is evidenced in this wine.