The Blonde 2008

Name: The Blonde 2008
Brand: Head Wines
Price: 100.0 AUD
Availability: InStock

The Blonde vineyard is consistently in the top few performing vineyards each year and has done so for 13 years. The Shiraz (Clone 1654) vineyard is planted in the Stone Well parish on a small rise of 280m, below the western ridge of the Barossa Valley; comprised of a myriad of soil and rock types including red clays, sands and a deep limestone base — blonde in colour. It is these unique rocks and soils that help produce riper, plumper, sweeter fruited wine than surrounding vineyards, while still retaining acidity due to the higher limestone content of the soil.

Region: Stone Well, Barossa Valley
Volume (ml): 750ml
Alcohol Vol. (%): 14.5
Standard Drinks: 8.5
Vintage: 2016

Price $100.00

Bottle (750ml)

Tasting Notes

2008 HEAD 'The Blonde' Shiraz Viognier, Single Vineyard – Stonewell. 298 doz. An addition of 2% Viognier was co-fermented with the Shiraz. 100% De-stemmed, no crushing, pre-ferment cold soaking in deep open fermenters, light to medium pumpovers avoiding pigeage, combination of wild yeast and EC118 with a relatively short warm ferment of 10 days. 10% new Sirugue Burgundian hogsheads with light toast to preserve the fruit. Essentially the wine is made in a modern hedonistic/exotic style that shows very perfumed, sweet fruits and glycerolic texture that lends medium term consumption (2009-2020). I would match with both strong white and red meat dishes (an all-rounder).

A fragrant and aromatic little devil it is - full of flowers and spice with juicy cherry/raspberry fruit and a tiny dollop of apricot jam mixed up with the nuts and meat. There’s minimal oak influence here it seems. Medium to full bodied and very fresh and clean with delightful emery board tannins and no shortage of length. Cheeky and light on its feet with a dry finish being a big positive. It’s a bit Torbreck-esque in style perhaps, although finer boned and far more lively - certainly more affordable. Very bloody drinkable now but should look more settled and savoury with a couple of years under its belt. Excellent. Rated : 94 Points,

Gary Walsh – The Wine Front