Since 1975 Wolf Blass has blended a Shiraz from some of the most outstanding fruit of the vintage to produce a wine that is rich and full with long-term potential but also wonderfully drinkable.

The 2004 Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz is rich dark red in colour. Aromas of rich, ripe berries with hints of pepper, spice and dark chocolate are present on the nose. The intense yet soft full fruit palate shows well-integrated oak, soft tannins and a long seamless finish.

VITICULTURE
The fruit for this wine was sourced from premium Shiraz vineyards in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. Good winter rainfalls and favourable conditions during spring and summer delivered a vintage of good to outstanding quality. One of the longest vintages in recent times, the dry, warm and stable conditions resulted in good yields of fruit with excellent colour, flavour and acid balance.

WINEMAKING
Following crushing, the wine fermented on the skins for seven days, allowing optimum release of colour and flavour without extracting excessive tannin. Individual parcels completed fermentation in seasoned and new American and French oak. After racking, the wine was returned to the original American and French oak barrels for 18 months maturation. After maturation our winemaking team carefully assessed each parcel before blending and bottling.

SUGGESTED FOOD
Serve with roasted fillet of beef or porterhouse steak with mushroom sauce.

CELLARING
This wine displays rich fruit flavours in its youth and has been carefully blended to ensure soft tannins and drinkability. It will develop more aged characters over the next 6-10 years if carefully cellared.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Harvest Date: March 2004
pH: 3.47
Acidity: 7.31 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual Sugar: 1.06 g/L
Bottling Date: November 2005