2013 Ashton Hills Sparkling Shiraz, Adelaide Hills

Stephen George's take on this now cult style is, without question, one of the titans of the genre. Given that its fruit is drawn from one of Australia's most revered vineyards, including a healthy portion from vines planted in 1919 at Wendouree, perhaps this will come as no surprise. Crafted from only the best vintages, and from gnarled old vines with a minimum of 80 years, there's no denying this special wine's breathtaking complexity, texture and balance; there’s power with finesse and it’s damn delicious to boot.

Open-fermented, hand-plunged, and held for four years in an aged 2,250-litre cask (with only a small amount of sulphur added), recent vintages of the Sparkling Shiraz have consistently demonstrated the style and quality that has made this wine one of the most enduring of its class. The 2013 was tiraged to bottle in 2017 and disgorged in July 2019 with 19 g/L residual sugar.

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