Heartland Directors' Cut

2003 Shiraz

The Directors' Cut is a reserve wine made with the finest selection of Shiraz from Heartland's own vineyards. The name Directors' Cut refers to the prime cut of fruit selected by the directors from each vintage. The 'cut' describes the practice of pruning back vines to lessen yields and obtain the most concentrated fruit flavours.

Region: Limestone Coast 70%, Langhorne Creek 30%

Variety: Shiraz 100%

Vinification: Fermented on skins for 9 days before completing ferment in 60% new Allier French oak and 40% new American oak. The wine was topped and malolactic fermentation completed. 14 months of maturation followed before blending and bottling.

Tasting Notes: This flagship wine made from the finest selection of Shiraz from each vintage is an opaque purple colour with dark purple hues. It shows superb aromas of a complex mix of violets, chocolate and cigar box lift. The incorporation of the 30% Langhorne Creek Shiraz in this years wine adds palate richness and chocolate/mocha characters on the nose. The palate is an explosion of flavour. Lashings of cassis, briary fruit flavours and spiced plum followed by back palate flavours of spice, liquorice and white pepper. Fine grained, soft tannins and perfect balance followed by a very long lingering finish with hints of blackberry and plum.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Total Acidity: 7.17g/l

pH: 3.38

Residual sugar: 0.42g/l