Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz Barossa Valley 2009

Australia

Availability: In stock.

Winemaking

2008 in the Barossa will be remembered as a difficult year to manage due to a heatspike during vintage. Daily monitoring of fruit quality and flavour development was extremely important. Severel different parcels were harvested separately in short breaks before the main heat burst. With smart canopy management during the growing season we have a vintage, albeit small, that we are very proud of. The 2008 vintage shows great purity of fruit and firm but fine tannins, giving great structure and power to the wines. 100% Shiraz from Barossa Valley (Ebenezer sub region). Age of vines: 80-120 years old. Vineyard yield: 1-2 tons per acre (2.4-4.8 tonnes per hectare). Vinification: 1 1/2-2 Ton open fermenters, hand-plunged 2-3 times daily. Extended maceration gives good tannin development which means that the wine is soft and approachable early. 10-20% barrel fermentation for selected batches. Oak: 90% French, 10% American Age of barrels: 2-3 years. Time in barrel: 14 months. Cellaring Potential: 10-12 years. 2008 Bishop will be known for its pronounced purity and intensity of fruit on release. The 2008 is more forward and lifted than the 2007, and the tannins marginally softer. There are rich, ripe, dark berry fruits with star anise on the palate. On the nose, aromas of liquorice and mocha intermingle with cassis and leather. Firm, velvety tannins from maturation in French and American oak beautifully balance opulent flavours on the palate. A few of the shiraz parcels used for Anaperenna in previous vintages have been used in the 2008 Bishop cuvee. We chose not to make an Anaperenna in 2008, due to Cabernet grapes being heat affected. This means that in 2008, fruit from some of our oldest shiraz vines was used, allowing us to maintain the Bishop structure and intensity. Our old vines handled the drought better than the younger vines and their fruit was softer, rounder and more generous - the desired style for Bishop Shiraz..