One of the happily reappearing 'art forms' in wine is the art of the fortified. It's completely understandable as the time capsule purity of a beautifully made Vintage Port (not that we are allowed to use these terms anymore) is to me the pinnacle of absolute deliciousness for expressing Shiraz.
Six Bottle Case $270 | Dozen Price $513
Production:
Picked April 21st 2022,
Stone Well Hill 'North East Block' Shiraz - Last Shiraz Pick of 2022
Total production 560 x 750mL Bottles - Hand Bottled in September 2023
Colour:
Intense Purple with almost fluorescent bright intensity
Nose:
Incredible mix of Jammy Boysenberry / Black Currant / Mulberry & Fennel Seed all overlaid with intense Black Liquorice Black Olive and English Breakfast Tea
Palate:
A rich, refined and intense expression of Vintage and Year. Powerful palate filling melange of black autumn berries, anise fennel and olive interwoven with a rich viscous structure that promises many MANY years of joy to come..
Philosophy:
In 2022, with the Australian Wine Industry lurching into a wall of adversity, my mind went back to the late ‘70’s / early ‘80’s many have been comparing the current times them to. For me, one of seminal wines that comes to mind that I identify this time with was the legendary ‘AD 2000’ (a 1979 VP). This was one of the last wines Dad Produced at Saltram before moving to what is now Peter Lehmann Wines. With an extra tonne of Stone Well Shiraz available and an eye to the future, I knew this was the perfect moment in time to start crafting a new dynasty of Traditional Barossa Shiraz ‘VP’s’. So; here’s the first shot across the bows - 500 odd bottles of the 2022 VP Traditional.
This Traditional style VP was created using a combination of Old School technique, my 24 years of experience all guided by knowledge passed down from the many mentors who have unknowingly honed my craft. In particular I need to highlight the work of one great unsung hero of Australian Fortified Winemakers, Leonie Lange. She left Saltram with Dad when he formed PLW back in ‘78 and spent the rest of her career working behind the scenes as the winemaker who was just as responsible for the PLW Success as Dad & Wigs. Although an exceptional white wine maker, I think Leonie’s greatest skill was in the esoteric alchemy of fortified winemaking. For those that know the great ‘King’ series VP’s - these were her babies and rightfully lauded as some of the greatest expressions of a Traditional VP in the Barossa.
I took her parameters and have made it my own. I fortify on skins and let the fortified must sit, covered and un touched for 2 to 3 weeks to allow for a very gentle extraction of tannins, colour and flavour. After pressing, the VP goes into aged, neutral French oak for twelve to eighteen months until it’s just right. We then rack, settle, rack and rack again until its beautifully bright and hand bottle here in the winery. The ultimate goal in my mind (for a traditional VP) is to be a time capsule of flavour capturing the very essence of the vintage that remains a true and delicious reference point for the years to come.
