$125.00
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One of the truly great partnerships in the Barossa is the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Whatever the proportions and regardless of whether Shiraz or Cabernet is dominant the synergy is unmistakable.
Sourced from individual patches of our Stonewell Hill and Stelzer Road Vineyards .
Total production 1200 bottles
192 Re-Released October 2022
Deep dense red with hints of purple lingering around the meniscus.
Spearmint perfume layered over cassis and red currant and summer berries. Lifted vanilla oak blends back and is filled out with the complexity of the spicy French giving an beautifully balanced nose.
The initial richness of the fully raspberry characters are poised against the spearmint menthol over finely balanced against firm oak and fruit Tannins. Good acid against the fruit sweetness, cleanses the mouth for a beautifully balanced palate The middle palate is full of the of the big berry hit of Cabernet supported by the leathery richness of Shiraz. The long palate finishes with the deep bass complexity brought out by extended lees contact.
The late 2017 vintage is tapering off (we’re in May, STILL crushing) and I’ve finally found a moment to sit down and ‘pen’ Alex’s 2012 Cab Shiraz Label. My youngest is now going on 12 in August and sadly (for Nicki and I) rapidly leaving his Childhood behind. I say sadly because those innocent years are in hindsight the most wonderful years you get. Of course, we are talking about Alex... So ‘innocent’ is definitely relative. Alex is becoming more and more my ‘Mini-Me’ every day. He’s got the wicked twinkle in his eye for sure! We’ve spent some really wonderful days together in the winery this year. The plunger is still a bit tall but it hasn’t daunted him for getting in and sharing the load. I guess, at his age it won’t be long before the hand is out for hard cash as remuneration, but for now tasting through the ferments is all he needs. Alex’s palate leaves mine for dead - Youth V’s Abuse I’d say - and when his ‘wine vocabulary’ catches up watch out! Whether wine ends up running in his veins remains to be seen but just quietly I reckon it’s definitely a thought that is bubbling away!
After the lets say ‘Challenging’ previous year, 2012 was a bloody relief. The up side of a wet year followed by a proper winter and a great spring was that the vines were beautifully set in the 2012 growing season. Both Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz ripened to perfection and in line with my evolving philosophy of what I want to see in glass. We picked earlier than many (in an effort to capture ascendant peak ripeness) and were rewarded with Lithe sexy ferments packed full of flavour but without clunky overripe heaviness. The 2012 Alexander’s Reward Cabernet Shiraz was created from small batch parcels drawn from Sand, Loam and Clay from both our Stone Well Hill and Stelzer Road Vineyards Cabernet and Shiraz vines. Each batch was hand plunged three times a day during ferment before being basket pressed after a total of 35-35 days on skins. The wine was filled with full lees to a mix of old and new American and French Oak for 30 months maturation.
In 2022, 192 bottles have been re-released of the the Cellar Release 2012 Alexander’s Reward Cabernet Shiraz as a 10 year old wine, Aged to perfection! Team david Franz have as always finished the bottle with the hand printed love we would never let it leave home without.
Enjoy and Cheers!
