Red Knot McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 (Australia)

Red Knot McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 (Australia)Dark plum & cherry Mixed spice Toasted nut Silky finish "This is just the ticket if you want a friendly flavoursome Shiraz. Lifted notes of dark plum, cherry, smoky bacon and mixed spice on the nose, leading to a fruity palate that's ripe and smooth. Medium full and joyful with a silky finish. At its best: now to 2026" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2022 Deep magenta. The blackberry and dark cherry aromas are highlighted with violet and a hint of roasted

• Dark plum & cherry
• Mixed spice
• Toasted nut
• Silky finish

"This is just the ticket if you want a friendly flavoursome Shiraz. Lifted notes of dark plum, cherry, smoky bacon and mixed spice on the nose, leading to a fruity palate that's ripe and smooth. Medium-full and joyful with a silky finish. At its best: now to 2026" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2022

Deep magenta. The blackberry and dark cherry aromas are highlighted with violet and a hint of roasted nut. The rich compote of dark and red berry fruit is contained with moreish chewy tannins and a fine slate-like minerality.

The region has a Mediterranean climate with wet winters, dry Summers and plenty of sunshine. The proximity to St Vincent Gulf, coincidentally named after the patron saint of winemakers, benefits fruit quality with warmer Spring and Autumn conditions and cooler Summers. McLaren Vale is renowned as a premium wine region of great beauty that consistently produces high quality, richly flavoured wines.

Despite a very dry August a wet July in 2019 brought winter rainfall (233mm) close to the average. The relatively cool winter resulted in mid-September budburst, more in line with long term averages. Good rainfall in September was followed by a dry October and November.

A record hot spring day on 20th of November (39.9 C) followed by several days of very high winds affected cultivars flowering at the time, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, reducing berry set. Hotter than average spring temperatures along with a very hot December and high evaporation meant strategic and timely early irrigation was critical in setting up vine growth and maximizing fruit quality. The upside of these conditions was very low levels of pest and disease. McLaren Vale was fortunate to be unaected by the devastating fires across many regions. The season turned on the 4th of January and the following months were cooler than average. A timely rain in early February revived vines without causing berry splitting.

Harvest started mid-February with Pinot Noir for Rosé. Chardonnay and Fiano were picked by the end of the month. Starting with Tempranillo and Shiraz, reds were picked from the end of February to the end of March. Cool conditions allowed a steady and calm progression through harvest despite the challenges of Covid 19 restrictions. Our reliable region and resources, including our very talented vineyard and winery teams, have resulted in 2020 Shingleback wines of excellent quality and generally only slightly lower quantity.