PIRATHON SHIRAZ GOLD 2016

Pirathon is an ancient word for pinnacle. Shiraz is widely regarded as the pinnacle grape of

the Barossa and the north-western Barossa is the pinnacle sub-appellation for

Shiraz.

Palate: Rich and full-bodied. Very generous, powerful. Totally mouth-coating. Bright

fruit flavours, liquorice. Firm chalky tannins giving longevity as well as nice grip to

counter-balance sleek fruits, but importantly polished. Harmonious acid. Very classy,

savoury oak, highly integrated. A long lingering finish.

Appearance: Dark magenta-black in colour

Aroma: Very intense aromatics. Dark black fruits, plus dried fig. Sweet spice, almost

incense-like. Classy cedary oak.

REGION

Barossa, South Australia

GRAPES

Shiraz

VINEYARD

The grapes were harvested from the low-yielding vineyards of traditional family

growers in the north-western Barossa districts of Moppa & Belvidere. Each vineyard

adds its own exclusive dimension to Pirathon Shiraz and combined they produce the

ultimate blend.

The grapes for the 2016 Pirathon Gold were from De Fazio and Hillview vineyards.

WINEMAKING

Vintage 2016 was hot and dry resulting in grapes ripening earlier than average.

Winter and Spring rainfall was down by 38% whilst growing season temperatures

were up by 3 degrees. Some welcome rain came at the end of January refreshing the

vines and giving them good moisture to ripen to maturity.

Yields from 2016 are solid and importantly quality is stunning. 2016 is certainly a star

vintage with bright intense wines of great flavour intensity and inherent balance.

Each vineyard was harvested at optimum maturity across a two month period from

February 12th to April 6th. Following harvest, each individual lot of grapes was

crushed into a separate open top fermenter. During fermentation, hand pump-overs

gently extracted colour and flavour from the grapes. After 7-10 days on skins the

fermented grapes were pressed with a traditional press. The wines were then filled to

new and seasoned French oak hogsheads for maturation for 24 months before each

lot of wine was racked from the barrel and carefully blended. The wine was bottled

without fining, ensuring the true expression of the vineyards in the bottle.

Reviews and Awards

96 points

“A stunning rendition of the variety; the complex

and engaging bouquet shows dark fruit richness

combined with warm spice, smoked game, roasted

nut and expresso aromas. The brooding and

sumptuous palate offers multi-layered mouthfeel

and velvety texture, finishing magnificently long

and gratifying”

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2021

Excellent to outstanding

“Perfumed nose, ripe dark fruits with hints of smoke and euacalypt.

Mixed red and dark berryfruits flood the palate, that eucalypt note

coursing through its veins, adding savoury licorice notes. While fruit

sweet, this remains dry, the powerful fruit neatly balanced by fine

tannins that build as the wine opens up. Supple, generous and a

delight to drink.”

Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, March 2019

Gold Medal

New Zealand International Wine Show, 2019

94 points

Matured in French oak, 67% new. It’s an incredibly smoky and an

incredibly tannic wine with tar, salted caramel, licorice, coconut and

spearmint flavours gushing through. The smokiness of this wine

can’t be emphasised enough; it makes for a distinctive profile. This

wine’s huge arms of tannin and big body of baked fruit will see it live

and mature for a whopping long time

Halliday Wine Companion, Feb 2020

93 Points

Dense and dark in the glass, it actually feels heavy to swirl. No

shortage of powerful aromas.: Wood, concentrated plum, chocolate,

baking spices, thick vanilla bean paste and just fired shotgun

cartridge. The palate equally as dense as the colour. Concetrated,

syrupy with smoked meats, bittersweet chocolate and blood plum.

It’s viscous with large swathes of coffee ground pervasive tannins.

The flavour lasts long with a smoky trail. One for the hedonists.

Regan Drew, Vino Notebook, June 2020

92 points

“Big, bold and fruity bouquet, dense, rich, peppery and spicy - a no

holds barred package. The palate is equally rich and bold with a

smoky cigar box and black fruits palate, medium tannins and

balanced acid line. Overall quite complex and lengthy with a long

persistent finish. Drink now and through 2026.”

Cameron Douglas, New Zealand’s Master Sommelier