The Distinction is a wine vinified from a parcel of fruit considered the very best of what the unique terroir of the Tscharke family vineyards has to offer. Each vintage, I walk the vineyards daily searching for the patch of vines that will tease my palate with intense concentrated sensations and flavours. At optimum ripeness I harvest the fruit, capturing and preserving the unique qualities in this limited production wine to be enjoyed over the years to come.
Following careful decantering this wine offers incredible complexity. Lifted notes of stone fruit, blackberry and white pepper are accompanied by an opulent and gorgeous palate of stone fruit, dark berry and subtle spice. Divinely delicious with sinful and smooth dark chocolate.
The fruit was crushed and fermented in an open top fermenter. Heading down boards were used for three weeks to submerge the cap to ensure maximum extraction of tannins and colour. Fermentation was followed by 10 days of extended maceration before being basket pressed and racked to barrel for maturation and secondary malolactic fermentation. After bottling the wine underwent 18 months bottle maturation.
2005 was a great vintage, with the weather conditions near perfect. Good rainfall late in winter and early spring gave the vineyards a superb start to the season followed by ideal day and night temperatures for fruit ripening.
A wonderful Shiraz, filled with elegance, power and finesse and well deserving the title of 'Distinction.'
Opaque black crimson colour with black crimson hue. The nose is a hedonist's delight, virtually eliminating the need to taste. Everything is happening here - violet top note, followed by plum, liquorice all sorts, vanilla, spice and confectionary. A sniffer's paradise. The palate is a concentrate of flavour - mouthfilling, elegant yet forceful showing excellent length and depth. Concentrated layers of vanilla, spice, violet infusions and confectionary, supported by velvet tannins creating an exceptionally long persistence of flavour that lasts minutes with vanilla, plum, confectionary and spice on the aftertaste.
