Domaine Tournon - Shays Flat Vineyard 2015
Vineyard Story
Members of the Chapoutier family have been working in the Rhône Valley since 1808. Their ancestor, Polydor Chapoutier, was the first to buy vines there, shifting from being a simple grape grower to making and trading his own wine. The pioneering spirit was already part of the family tradition.
Seven generations later we encounter Michel Chapoutier with a real passion for the expression of soils, a vigneron with vision while respecting history and traditions.
Today maison M. Chapoutier continues to further its legacy as a benchmark for the industry in general: the biodynamic model created by Michel in the 1990s has become the standard by which the entire biodynamic wine industry is measured in contemporary Europe.
Many thought twenty-six-year-old Michel daring when he converted his family’s legendary estate to new methods of growing and winemaking. Today, his peers continue to view him as an innovator, leader, forward-thinker, and risk-taker who changed the course of French winemaking for the better.
SHAYS FLAT SHIRAZ PYRENEES-VICTORIA
Named after a locale in the
Australian Pyrenees, Shay’s Flat is produced on an east-facing ridge in the southern foothills. It appears as a natural amphitheater with red soils of schist, quartz, and rich clay. The vineyard features ten hectares of Shiraz in two parcels.
The Shay’s Flat vineyard sits at an altitude of 350m in the Western Pyrenees Ranges and is organically farmed.
Soil
A mixture of deep red soil, schist, quartz and clay.
Harvesting
The grapes are harvested at night, at optimal maturity while avoiding overripeness.
Vinification
Grapes are destemmed and fermented in concrete or stainless steel tanks. A long maceration (from 3 to 5 weeks) and gentle work on the marc allow the extraction of fine and elegant tannins.
Maturing
The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. A small proportion of the wine is aged in concrete tanks to preserve the freshness of the flavours.
Tasting notes
APPEARANCE
Clarity: clear
Intensity: deep
Colour: garnet
NOSE
Condition: clean
Intensity: pronounced
Aromas: primary and tertiary – black fruits (black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant) and red berries (strawberry, raspberry) with hints of tobacco.
Development: developing
PALATE
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium
Alcohol: medium
Tannins: high
Body: full
Flavour intensity: pronounced
Flavour characteristics: primary,
secondary and tertiary – black fruits and red berries, liquorice, prunes, vanilla, charred wood, toast, cooked blackberry, leather, meat, earth.
Finish: long
CONCLUSION
Quality level: excellent
Grape varieties: 100% Shiraz/Syrah
Service Temperature: 15° to 16°C
Ageing potential: over 6 years
Food & Wine Pairings: Grilled meat, game, chocolate cake.