Barossa Valley Estate
E&E Black Pepper Shiraz Limited Release 2020
“Floral hints, accompanied by the richness of dark fruits and a touch of black pepper spice, create a sumptuously layered palate adorned with exquisitely textured, finely grained tannins.”
– Tasted June 2020
Our viticulturist and winemaker work closely together each vintage to determine which vineyards will become the foundations for E&E Black Pepper Shiraz. At harvest time, each vineyard is assessed, and in exceptional vintages, fruit is selected for its concentration, varietal intensity and hallmark Black Pepper character. E&E’ Black Pepper Shiraz's signature is one that comes from time.
From selection at harvest, it takes more than four years to craft E&E into an extraordinary wine. This creates a seamless, sophisticated wine from start to finish, with exceptional concentration, restrained power, and silky but penetrating tannin finish.
Barossa Valley
Growing Season
Following below average winter rainfall, the 2020 growing season was notably dry and cool. A short burst of heat in late November through early December restricted vine growth, and combined, these conditions resulted in low yields. Our E&E parcels developed hallmark small bunches and small, concentrated berries of intense character and dense, dark colour. The later part of the ripening season was cooler, with conditions across February and March ideal for our vines to slowly ripen grapes, developing exceptional intensity of fruit flavour, plush mouthcoating tannins and vibrant colour.
Winemaking
Each parcel of fruit harvested was vinified separately. The grapes were destemmed, and parcels of fruit were assigned to fermentation vessels, ranging from four to 12-ton open fermenters. Following a period of maceration, fermentation was initiated with selected yeast strains.
Fermentation was conducted over a seven to ten-day period, with the total time spent on skins being up to 14 days. During fermentation, regular pump-overs were conducted (between three and five times daily) to aid extraction of colour, flavour and tannins. The wine was then pressed and moved to French oak barrels (50% of which were new) to undertake malolactic fermentation and maturation for approximately 18 months. The French oak barrels were carefully selected to impart texture, fine tannins, and to support the aging potential of the final wine.
Throughout malolactic fermentation and maturation, each barrel was individually assessed for its quality, and the final selections (40+) were carefully reviewed and assembled by the winemaking team to create the final blend. The final blend was then bottled and matured for a further 18 months to create a wine that is beautifully balanced and integrated upon release, with the potential to age for decades to come.
“We anticipate that the year 2020 will be hailed as an exceptional vintage for the Barossa, revered for decades to come. This remarkable vintage follows a succession of highly impressive red wine vintages in the region.”
Barossa Valley
2020 Vintage
Varietal | 100% Shiraz |
Clones | 1654, 2626, BVRC12 |
Vine Age | Various, 20+ years |
Harvest | 18 - 20 March 2020 |
Alcohol | 15.0% Alc/Vol |
pH | 3.55 |
Cellaring Potential | An excellent vintage, 10+ years from vintage with careful cellaring |