INGRAM ROAD Shiraz Cabernets

Winemaking

The Monks have been blending wine varieties for hundreds of years. In most cases varieties are blended to add certain characteristics to the wine that a variety by itself is missing. Cab Sav is one example. Known affectionately as the “doughnut grape” Cab Sav has the tendency to display wonderful front and back palate flavours but can lack fruit weight on the mid palate. Conversely, Merlot is a soft flavorsome wine that can sometimes lack depth of back palate. Shiraz, like Merlot can give you loads up front but lack a little structure and tannin’s on the back palate.

 

A combination that works really well is the Shiraz, Cab Sav and Merlot blend. Using fruit sourced from a single vineyard just north of the divide, where the hot summer sun develops rich full flavoured fruit, this blend brings together the best of all three varieties. Rich full fruit flavours of the Shiraz and Merlot grapes combine with the more subtle and complex structure of Cab Sav to produce a wine that can be enjoyed on any occasion.

 

The wine displays those classic Shiraz characters of rich plum on the nose, with nuances of dark fruits from the Cab Sav. The front palate enjoys full ripe plum and black berry fruit flavours. The mid palate picks up the luscious merlot “fruit cake” flavours. The back palate (which is where this wine truly excites) combines the subtle spicy characters of the Shiraz with the dark berry flavours and long finishing structured tannins of the Cab Sav to leave the drinker with a finish that goes on and on and on and on... Sante!!