Kingsvale-Ridge 'Single Vineyard Estate' Merlot Shiraz 2004

2004 Kingsvale-Ridge 'Single Vineyard Estate' Merlot Shiraz 50/50 blend out of the Hilltops region of New South Wales

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

The Hilltops region of NSW is famous for its stone fruits, particularly cherries and this was the reasoning behind the planting of grapes in this region as stone fruit quality has a strong affinity with high quality grapes. Kingsvale is a single vineyard wine, comprised of 110 acres, all red – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, planted in 1999 on an east facing escarpment of decomposed granite and red colored ironstone sands. The altitude is around 1700 feet with ample rains, around 26 inches, mainly falling in the winter and spring months. Winters are cold and summers are hot, but the growing season is exceptionally long with grapes being harvested in late April through early May. Remember that this is the Southern Hemisphere and put into a Northern Hemisphere perspective this would equate into late October early November. The end result is grapes with lower yields, around 2-4 tons per acre, with good natural acidity and vibrant flavors and aromatics. This, the 2004 Kingsvale-Ridge, is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Shiraz, no Cabernet went into the blend as it was felt that it wasn’t up to the quality of the first two varietals for this particular vintage. A combination of new French and Hungarian oak was used, for a total of 16 months. The wine was bottled in February 2006 so it has had around a year and a half to start integrating and is just now starting to come together and should drink nicely over the next 5-7 years. This is a wine that is more reflective of the vineyard and not of the winemaker. It’s true to its origins with the surprise feature being how well the Merlot & Shiraz work together and have harmonized. The color is dark, plush and concentrated and the nose has ripe blackberries, dark cherries, roasted herbs and peppery oak nuances. The palate delivers the complexity of the nose with a pleasant softness and long finish on a medium fuller weighted frame. Drinking spot on right now this should be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years.

Price

SKU

Varietal

$19.99

6776

Red Blend