2002 Punters Corner Spartacus Reserve Shiraz Winery: Punters Corner Vintage: 2002 Region: Coonawarra Bottle Size: 750ml Variety: Shiraz Price: $75.00

Vintage 2002 was late and cool, with the lowest yields of grapes seen in decades. The shiraz ripened with outstanding flavours of dark berries and both white and black pepper. The V&A Vineyard produced large dark, super-ripe shiraz which was barrel fermented in new American hogsheads. This was then combined with more elegant plummy shiraz from the 30 year old Cellardoor Shiraz Block. Maturation in both American and Russian oak has produced a complex wine showing mocha coffee and spicy notes with mulberry and blackberry fruit. AWARDS 5 Stars James Halliday 2005 Australian Wines TOP 100 WINES / BLUE GOLD AWARD WINNER In the Sydney International Wine Competition 2005 Nominated for the George McKellar Trophy for the Best Wine Exported The 2002 Spartacus Reserve Shiraz has just been awarded a Gold Medal and placed in the TOP 100 Wines in the 2005 Sydney International Wine Show. The official Sydney International Wine Competition Bottle Medallions are recognised all over the world, including the European Community. The TOP 100 Wines are also BLUE-GOLD Award winners, which entitles them to wear the Competition's gold, trademarked double disc, BLUE-GOLD - TOP 100 "Judged with Food" bottle medallion. TOP 100 Wines carry the added distinction of being placed amongst the 100 highest pointed wines of the 2005 Competition, the elite top 5%. Approximately 2,000 wines were judged in this competition representing 478 brands from thirteen countries - Australia, Argentina, Austria, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain South Africa and the USA. An international panel of thirteen judges from five countries officiated under the Chairmanship of Chief Judge Mr. Kym Milne MW WINEMAKING PROCESS The red grape varieties Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon for Victoria and Albert and Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from Punters Corner are picked and destemmed before transfer to fermenters. Fermentation takes approximately six days and the ferments are allowed to rise in temperature up to twenty-eight to thirty degrees centigrade. They are then maintained at this temperature to maximise tannin extraction. Fermentation is in both small open topped stainless steel fermenters and vinimatic roto-fermenters. Pumping over is done twice daily with complete working of the skins to ensure maximum extraction of colour, flavour and tannins from the skins to build more complex tannin structures in the wines. Also, to build complexity, a portion of the Shiraz and Cabernet crop is barrel fermented in new A.P. Johns American oak hogsheads. The fermenting wine is pressed off skins into new barrels at 1-2 Be to complete fermentation and develop the special coffee bean/fruit cake aromas of reds made in this way. Wines are gently pressed off skins when ready, no augers or conveyors are used, the skins are raked into a bin and tipped into a bag press or dropped in directly from the vinimatics. This produces softer tannins in the pressings wines. New red wine is settled followed by blending after which it is transferred to oak for maturation with malo-lactic fermentation, usually completed in oak. Wines are racked and reworked once or twice during oak maturation, which takes between twelve to eighteen months, depending on the wine and vintage. Barrels are stored at twelve o’clock with regular topping.Reds receive a light egg white fining and minimal filtration before bottling.

Deeply coloured, the potent, penetrating bouquet leads into lusciously abundant mid-palate blackberry and spice, balanced by fine tannins and faintly smoky oak on the finish. Rating 96 Drink 2015 Date Tasted Oct 04 James Halliday

Punters Corner 2002 Spartacus Shiraz PlonkOz04

A subtle, sweet bouquet with spicy nuances and perfumed notes delivers palate flavours of black cherry, mulberry, liquorish, mint and spicy notes. Smooth, dusty tannins refreshing acid and the deep pure fruit are well balanced producing a lovely wine with an attractive mouth feel that will only get better with time. Ample-weight, the consistency is firm and the tight structure has some class. Complexity is diverse and this baby just needs time to show its best. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine mature is in 2010+, in short by then it should be a cracker.

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