Terlato et Chapoutier - Pyrénées - Shiraz Lieu dit Malakoff Rouge 2008

Wine:

As soon as the "Lieu Dit Malakoff" Shiraz 2008 is nosed, the tone is set. The aromas are marked and precise. The wine is expressive and possesses great length on the palate. On this soil of deep schist, the Syrah is feisty, emancipated and brilliant. Few Australian wines attain this degree of precision in the fruit. This is a great wine and a superb example of vinification in Southern climes.

Vinification:

The grapes are de-stalked and fermented (around 32°C) in stainless steel or concrete vats. Maceration lasts 3 to 4 weeks in order to extract supple, elegant tannin. The wine is 100% aged for 10 to 12 months in French oak casks.

Color:

Deep, dark, purplish red colour

Nose:

Complex on the nose, aromas of black fruit (black cherry and blackcurrant), chocolate, slightly toasted.

Palate:

Powerful and exhilarating on the palate, notes of black fruit and pomegranate. The tannin is perfectly incorporated and give the wine a lovely length finish.

Temperature:

Serve between 15 and 17°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Red meats, Indian cuisine, spicy dishes.

Cellar aging:

Enjoy up to and including 2016

Michel Chapoutier and Anthony Terlato go back a long way. Their friendship led to the two men joining together in the late 90's to purchase this superb property on Australian Pyrenees terroirs. The critics are unanimous and Robert Parker instantly hailed the quality of the wines. It took only ten years for this wine production to become one of Australia's very best, reflecting the Chapoutier aura within the Rhône Valley and the wine world.