2023 'Midnight Dilemma' Shiraz

Artwork

Kate’s painting features the horse Tom’s dad used to ride to move sheep. The light orange-red background embodies the soft yet solid structure of the wine while the electric blue vertically-running lines represent the carrying currents of acid. The positioning of the horses symbolizes the starkly opposing directions a decision can take you, especially one made at midnight. What’s your Midnight Dilemma?

Tasting Notes

The Midnight Dilemma is always caressed towards a soft, elegant and velvety mouthfeel. Dominant notes of stewed plumb and blackcurrant, and a nice run of acid to keep things moving. This year, however, some experimenting with whole-bunch fermentation has added a very welcomed layer of white pepper and an extra lift to the wine.  

Winemaking

Destemmed, whole-berry grapes (70%) were poured over hand-picked whole bunches (30%). The grapes were handled delicately throughout fermentation, keeping the majority of the berries intact. After fermentation and a gentle pressing, the Midnight Dilemma was transferred to neutral French oak for malo and 10 months of relaxation. It remained unfiltered and unfined and was bottled in February, 2024.

Vineyard

The vineyard lies on the east-facing side of the Mount Camel Range. The range was formed on a fault line with nutrient-rich, Cambrian-aged metabasalts being forced to the surface. The mixing of these decomposed metabasalts with seafloor sediments (chert, jasper, siltstone) provides the strikingly red, iron-rich, well-draining soil that makes this site so desirable. 

Wine Region

Heathcote, Victoria

Year

2023

ABV

12.95%

Occasion

Main course - try it with your main heavy dish and let us know what it pairs with!