Tasting Notes
The 2021 Beechworth Shiraz is an exceptional example of the variety grown on our Devonian granite soils. A rich and intense deep crimson in colour, the wine is elegant and instantly entices you with it’s initial aromas. Rich dark cherry followed by perfumed rose, vanilla, buttery cocoa and rich-roasted coffee bean. Elegant and ripe black and blue fruit aromas continue to dance on the palate. Beautifully woven silky tannins, the influence of the amphora component of the wine works to deliver blackberry, macerated strawberry, clove, nutmeg, and gentle savouriness of mace on the palate. The spices and richness of the ripe fruit characters provides the wine with great structure and complexity – the 2021 Shiraz is an exceptional example of a cool-climate shiraz.
Left to open, the wine gracefully shares even further with hints of blueberry, cranberry, leather, and dried herbs. A powerful wine with mystery that unravels as you enjoy it. The elegance, complexity and structure of the wine, even so early in its life, speaks not only of it’s generosity but also at it’s potential to develop and evolve for many years to come. - Winemaker Note
The Granjoux vineyard is the passion project of Peter Bartholomew and Donna Pelka, inspired by the research and ongoing input of legendary viticulturist Mark Walpole. Situated on the Beechworth Gorge, the relatively steep site had been planted in the 1860s, with the only remnants of that occupation the durable dry-stone walls and ruin of a winery. Armed with historical records, the trio embarked on both honouring the history and fine-tuning the methods to densely plant an individually staked vineyard that is in part inspired by the vineyards of the Northern Rhône, for both viticulture and varieties, but also committed to the regional star, chardonnay.
The vineyard site certainly has some history, though its break in operations has been vast, with it originally planted in the early 1860s by Frenchman Ambrose Granjoux (his surname is variously spelled in historical records). He produced wine from those vines, as evidenced in a 1865 newspaper advertisement that listed chasselas, riesling, carignan, malbec, tokay and muscat for sale, but he also had plantings of scyras (shiraz/syrah – the misspelling originates from the original cataloguing of the Busby Collection) and made something called ‘Colonial Claret’, likely a multi-pronged blend.
The densely staked vines on a meaningful slope reminded Walpole very much of the vineyards of the Northern Rhône, as did the soils, comprising decomposed granite, clay and slate. That, and the local history, made shiraz an easy choice, along with a seasoning of viognier for blending purposes, with the Beechworth hero grape of chardonnay also planted to make two micro-production ultra-premium wines (made by Walpole and Adrian Rodda), with the first vintage, 2021, to be released in April 2023.
| Product Type | Wine Red Shiraz |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Victoria |
| Sub Region | Beechworth |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |