Scarlet Runner Shiraz 2021
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby and purple in the glass. Great depth of fruit, but super well-balanced with tannins and fruit. Great length
Try with a winter braise, pizza or a rich tomato-based pasta sauce. I have had a good results using this wine to make Peposo which is traditional Tuscan beef stew usually made using Chianti but the Scarlet Runner works just as well. Have it to drink with the dish too!
90 points (and rated Very Good Value by The Real Review)
Vegan Friendly
Vintage
Good winter and early spring rains were followed by a generally dry and mild growing season. After the leaner vintages of 2019 and 2020 it was nice to see a return to long term average crop levels. We had a slow and steady ripening period without any excessive heat spikes which has resulted in super varietal fruit intensity and balanced natural acidity.
A Mary Poppins kind of vintage; practically perfect! Joch is always loathe to comment favourably about vintage quality, for fear of jinxing things – he can be superstitious like that, but by the end of harvest, the word ‘exceptional’ was heard to come out of his mouth.
Winemaking
This is the 14th version of the Scarlet Runner. We made this wine for the US market back in 2008 as a bright fresh, vibrant evocation of McLaren Vale shiraz with spice and chocolate and not too much oak. We are still making the wine with this in mind! Picked ripe and flavoursome, open fermented and finishing ferment in mainly older oak, we tend to bottle this wine in the same year of harvest.
Other Vintages
Technical Details
Picking Date: 24th Feb, 10th, 13th, 17th and 18th March 2020
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
Bottling Date: 6th September 2021