The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (100%) for this wine are sourced from different plots on the estate in McLaren Vale, some of which were already planted in the 1890s, and all of which are now grown organically and some biodynamically. The harvest takes place manually at an optimal balance between taste, sugar and acid content. The different parcels are harvested and vinified separately. After de-stemming and a light mashing, the fermentation takes place coolly in open fermentation vessels, with the grapes’ own yeast cells and with two daily stirrings. At the end of fermentation, the wines are pressed and transferred to a combination of new and used French wooden barrels (500 l.), where they mature for 9 months. The wine is bottled after a blending of the wines from the different parcels and a short natural settling in a tank, without filtration.
The wine has a deep, glossy, ruby red color. The aroma is immediate and fruity, with spicy notes of paprika and cinnamon, which match well the more fleeting nuances of raspberry and lingonberry. You find some of the same nuances in the taste, where the style is quite elegant and the wood character is well integrated into the fruit. It is a wine which already gives a lot in its youth, but which will no doubt be able to be stored for a number of years. Serve with e.g. grilled lamb, beef or veal, but also with stews with e.g. wild game.
Paxton Vineyards in McLaren Vale was founded in 1979 by David Paxton, who is today regarded as one of the most accomplished winegrowers in Australia. For many years they produced grapes which were sold on to other companies, and only in 2000 did they launch a Paxton Shiraz (1998) under their own name. At the same time, David Paxton’s son, Michael, finished his education as a winemaker and agronomist, and he then became part of the team. The philosophy has been clear from the start: the wines should express the typicality of the grapes, the diversity of the area and the potential and character of each vineyard, which i.a. led to a switch to biodynamic production. (NASAA Reg. No. 5364P).
Today, Paxton Vineyards owns and cultivates a total of 80 ha. vineyards distributed in McLaren Vale and in the Barossa Valley, which provides good diversity in terms of climate and soil conditions. The grape variety Shiraz is the most important, but they also grow i.a. Grenache, Cabernet, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. David Paxton and his team use both traditional and more innovative cultivation methods, where, among other things, selects clones that give a low yield but in turn higher quality. Irrigation is a necessity on several of the vineyards, but the process is carefully controlled, e.g. with drip irrigation, so that the yield is also limited.
McLaren Vale is a wine region just a few kilometers south of the city of Adelaide in South Australia. Wine has been produced here since the 19th century, but it is only in recent years that the area has really been discovered on the export markets. McLaren Vale is particularly known for its dark Shiraz wines, but wines are also produced from other grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Merlot. Many of the smaller producers sell a large proportion of their wines at farm sales to the many tourists from Adelaide who frequently visit the area.
Although the distance to the sea is only 10-15 km. and thus providing a certain cooling influence, McLaren Vale is an extremely hot area where viticulture is a challenge. Without irrigation it would therefore be impossible to grow wine here. The soil varies somewhat in the different sub-districts; Sellicks Foothills, Blewitt Springs, Seaview, Willunga and McLaren Flat, and so do the styles of the wines.
