Yalumba Distinguished Sites The Steeple

Yalumba Steeple Vineyard Shiraz bottle image

Wine Description

Yalumba Distinguished Sites is a family of exceptional wines; each carefully sourced and masterfully crafted to capture the true essence of specific, special sites from which it is grown.

Yalumba Clocktower
Yalumba Cooperage
Yalumba Vineyard
Yalumba Barrel Room
Yalumba Museum
Robert and Jess Hill-Smith
Winemaker, Louisa Rose
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Acclaim
"Class of the highest order. It has sex appeal where it needs to and modesty where it doesn't. It's balanced perfectly, is ripped with blackcurrant and plum, shows hints of mint and boysenberry, and is all wrapped up in smoky, bacony, cedary oak. Tannin is assertive, al dente, and at one with the fruit. It's quite beautiful."
— James Halliday, Aug 2018
"Brilliant, violet color. Smoke-tinged cherry, blackberry and candied licorice on the intensely perfumed nose. Sappy, open-knit black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors are enlivened by a peppery nuance and become more energetic with aeration. Spicy and precise on the impressively persistent finish, which shows alluring sweetness and just a hint of dusty tannins."
— Vinous, Dec 2021
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
The Steeple Vineyard
Soil composition
Red Brown Loam
Elevation:
600 feet
Year vineyard planted:
1919
Average Vine Age:
95 years
Certifying Organizations:
ISO14001; Entwine Australia
Sustainability Certification:
EPA Acredited Sustainability Licence
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
1-3 days on skins pre fermentation before wild yeast start to ferment
Varietal composition:
100% Shiraz
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
24 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.5
Acidity:
5.8 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
0.5 g/L
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Wine Production

Wild yeasts initiate fermentation, contributing to the individual complexities of the wine, creating richness and fine textures. The skins were plunged regularly to extract colour, tannin and flavour. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was matured in Tonnellerie Sylvain barriques. These unique barriques are coopered specifically from a 362 year old tree from the Bercé forest of France. Matured for 15 months in 35% new French oak barriques, balance in older French oak barriques.

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About the Vineyard

The 2014 single site Shiraz is sourced from the Yalumba Steeple vineyard. This old block of Shiraz was planted in 1919, on its own roots, close to the Light Pass township on the floor of the Barossa Valley. The soil is well drained and consists of a marked contrast in texture between the surface soil and the subsoil.