The Contrarian 2010
Shiraz
Tasting Notes
2010 HEAD ‘The Contrarian’ Syrah, Single Vineyard – Greenock. A new wine for the stable.....from a single vineyard in Greenock where I could finally use 100% whole bunches for my fermentation and maceration. Foot crushing and pigeage was needed and the ferment allowed to begin with natural yeasts. This was an extremely risky/difficult wine to make. Even more than usual manual work was required and a lot of time, risk, reading, travel, conversation and patience went into this project. I have a particular fondness and affinity for this wine and what it represents moving forward. The winemaking process for ‘The Contrarian’ goes against common practice. Dark red and purple hues; complex aromas of black pepper, plums, stem and spice. More plums, stem, restrained fruit and a savoryness on the palate. The low alcohol helps continue the savory theme with some Rhone like tannins finishing the wine and offering candidature for protein based foods. Decant for 1 hour. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 150 cases produced. Drink for 15+ years. 12.8% Alc.
2010 Head Wines ‘The Contrarian’ Syrah – Greenock. From the Greenock sub-region with a total production of 150 dozen. Handpicked, 100% whole bunch, foot crushed, wild yeast, unfined and unfiltered. All that stuff. It’s an interesting wine for sure. As much Cornas as Barossa, but with time, the Barossa comes through and takes its rightful place at the head of the table. It’s a wine of extreme purpliness – both to viddy and to taste. Pepper, blue and purple fruit, meat, latent chocolate richness. It’s light weight, sour edged, beefy, stalky and peppery and looks to be acid driven with firm lightly chalky controlling whole bunch tannins. Excellent length. Interesting. And then, with time in the glass it gains a lavender perfume and up comes juicy raspberry fruit and Greenock chocolate (even at this baume). Hello Barossa. Delineation, purpose and terrific verve. Knife-edge ripeness levels. It’s a wine of intrigue and mystery that may not fulfil everybody’s expectation of what a Barossa Shiraz should taste like, but there’s no denying the quality on show here. Insist on a big decant if drinking young. Rated : 95 Points, Alcohol : 12.8%, Closure : Screwcap, Drink : 2015 - 2025+Gary Walsh – The Wine Front
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