Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz 2021

On the nose there are pretty florals interwoven through the dark fruits, with hints of stone fruit kernel. The palate is rich and creamy, the powerful fruit profile resplendent with concentrated dark plums, and touches of sauteed stone fruit and bitter dark chocolate. There are some lovely graphite like fine tannins that support the intense fruit flavor profile down the full length of the palate.
Named for an old orchard which was removed (along with 500 tons of bluestone) to make way for vines planted in 1995, the Apricot Block sits on an east facing slope rising up from an old creek bed that intersects our Roennfeldt Road vineyards. The site is beautifully exposed to the soft morning sun, and benefits from late afternoon shade and cooling south easterly gully breezes. The upper sections of the block are laden with hard quartz, granite and bluestone, with the lower sections on silty, sandy loams. These contrasts in the geological structure of the block create a wine that is at once firmly structured, but also showing a generous, plush fruit profile. In a typical year, we anticipate yields of around 1 to 1.5 ton per acre. Cellaring recommendation: 15 years+
95 pts James Halliday
93 pts Vinous
90 pts The Wine Advocate
Silver Medal – Texsom 2024
The trend of below average rainfall continued through the winter and spring leading into the 2021 vintage. However, the rainfall events that did occur, were almost at the perfect timing at budburst and flowering. The weather was also unusually mild though fruit set with very little wind and this resulted in a good potential crop and long elongated bunches of grapes. Canopy growth was strong, and some slight skirting of the vines was required in the more vigorous growth blocks to open up the canopy and allow good natural airflow. Through ripening and continuing into the harvest the weather remained mild. Cool to cold nights and warm days allowed great natural acid retention in the grapes and slow flavour/colour and tannin development in the fruit. Crop levels were back to a historical ‘average’ and the extraction of juice was higher than has been seen for a number of years.
Matured in 20% New French Oak (balance seasoned) for 18 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
VEGAN FRIENDLY SUSTAINABLE