Oliverhill 'Red Silk' Shiraz 2008

Oliverhill 'Red Silk' Shiraz 2008 91 pts Wine Advocate - Rich, concentrated and layered on the palate, it is loaded with sweet, savory black fruit, spices

Tasting Notes

10/8/10
From the producers of the wine nicknamed the ‘Big O’ (Oliverhill Shiraz), the’ Red Silk’ Shiraz is Oliverhill’s first venture into our market with a more user friendly, attractive price point. That being said, this is still a very serious wine, that has no lesser connotations attached to it, and has not even began to show its true potential, as it was bottled just around 3 months ago. Even so, this still shows positive glimpses of what’s to come. Already reviewed by Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar and the Robert Parker Jr’s Wine Advocate, with glowing accolades, this should really start to come together and sing with a few more months under its belt.
The nose shows notes of higher pitched dark red fruits, then broader blueberry plumpness, and a hint of chocolate along with a subtle earth and spice component aromatically. Fuller bodied and layered the palate offers the generosity one expects from the producer and the region (Mclaren Vale), with riper, sleek tannins offering enough grip to focus the fruit. Expressive and totally engaging with its mouth coating, plump black fruit flavors, sweet but not candied, there is a savory chocolate edge to the fruit reflective of its origins. Generous but not over the top, this is a wine that you will actually love to have a second glass and then a third. As good as this is now this should really come to together over the next 6 months to a year and make some serious inroads into a category that is in need of wines with a personality and character like this. At under $20 this really delivers the goods.

Food Accompaniments

Lamb, beef, game

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

91 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate #186 (JM)
The 2008 Red Silk Shiraz is opaque purple/black with a bouquet of cedar, damp earth, lavender, incense, black raspberry, and blueberry preserves, Rich, concentrated and layered on the palate, it is loaded with sweet, savory black fruit, spices, and chocolate. Smooth-textured and lengthy, it will drink well for a decade.

90 pts Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (JR)
Saturated ruby. Pinot-like aromas of raspberry, cherry, rose and pungent herbs. Racy and finely focused, offering nervy red fruit flavors and an exotic note of candied rose. Impressively bright and pure on the finish, which repeats the cherry note and clings nicely.

89 pts Wine Enthusiast (2/1/2010(JC)
A satisfying steak house red, Oliverhill’s 2008 Red Silk doesn’t have the intensity or complexity of the Jimmy Section or Mount Benson Shirazes, but still offers plums and vanilla, plenty of weight and richness and a delicate dustiness on the finish. Drink now-2016.

Winemaker Notes

Another dry winter, followed by dry hot days and cold night temperatures during spring. As a result, yields were down slightly on average, and picking 2 weeks early. There was low disease incidence with all varieties.The 2008 wines show rich fruit characters with fine mouth filling tannins. The use of French oak Troncais has added structure and balance while complementing the spiciness found in this Clarendon Shiraz.
The fruit is hand picked determined by flavour. The fruit is destemmed-crushed into 3 tonne open fermenters. The Shiraz is inoculated with Lalvin Syrah Yeast. Hand plunging takes place four times a day or more. The wine is fermented to dryness on skins, average 12-14 days. It is then basket pressed, into tank and left overnight to settle, then into barrels, Barrels are predominantly Vicard Troncais, French oak. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel; the wine then racked three times over 12-18 months. The wine is then coarse filtered, sulphured and bottled. All processes take place on premise.

Chemical Analysis

6 Bottle price

Price

SKU

Varietal

Alcohol %: 14.5
Total Acid: 6.9
Free/Total Sulfur: 30/90
pH:3.48
Residual Sugar:1.3

$16.99

$18.99

8524

Shiraz