REGION / McLaren Vale

VARIETAL / 100% Syrah

ABV / 15%

WINEMAKER / Scott Rawlinson

TASTING PROFILE & KEY REVIEW / This is a wine of great intensity and brooding power. Dark raspberry and blackberry dominate the palate, which opens up to show hints of dark chocolate, licorice and damp earth. Smoky oak and smooth tannins add structure and complexity. Rich and robust.

“Opaque purple. Sexy, high-pitched aromas of black raspberry and violet gain depth and power with air, taking a turn to deeper blackcurrant and licorice. Spicy, incisive red and dark berry fruit flavours are framed by silky tannins and show a suave floral quality. Finishes with broad, pliant dark fruit flavours, hints of candied flowers and spice cake and impressive persistence.” Stephen Tanzer’s IWC 2010

VINTAGE REPORT / Hot and dry weather leading into vintage created rapid ripening conditions, causing some sub-regions of McLaren Vale to have their earliest start to vintage on record. Due to our proximity to the coast with its daily sea breezes (as well as meticulous vineyard management), we were able to harvest a small yet high quality yield of Syrah grapes. Berries were quite small and as yields were down, flavours were highly concentrated.

WINEMAKING / Winemaking is very traditional and labour intensive. Small batch fermentation took place in open top fermenters, following which the wine was matured for a period of 18 months in a selection of the best French (80%) and American oak. It was neither fined nor filtered so that the integrity and depth of flavour could be maintained.

HERITAGE / All fruit for The Governor comes from a single block on our family-owned 64-acre vineyard, located in the southern foothills of the McLaren Vale region. Our proximity to the ocean (situated just 2km away from the coast of the Gulf St Vincent) allows our vines to benefit from cooling sea breezes that temper the heat of our Mediterranean climate.

The Governor block is located at the top of our vineyard, where poor soil and a high clay content combine to limit water retention and allow moisture levels to be controlled through drip irrigation. These are the perfect conditions for the production of top quality Syrah, creating fruit undiluted by water – small and incredibly intense in flavour.