wine: red
back
Hellfire Bay Shiraz
Producer
The Hellfire Bay wines are made at Plantagenet by John Durham with fruit sourced from various vineyards in Western Australia... Legend says that the first white settlers arriving in Western Australia believed they were sailing through the gates of hell as they watched St. Elmo’s fire light up the sky above them. As they prayed for mercy, they named the area Hellfire Bay.Vineyards
Fruit is sourced from selected vineyards in the Geographe and Blackwood regions with a smattering from the Great Southern region. Yields were between 5-10 tonnes per hectare.Vintage Information
It was a promising start to the season with useful rains and mild conditions from spring to early summer which allowed good vine growth. A dry February and March then allowed flavours to intensify in a relatively disease and pestilence free environment. Apart from a handful of very hot days around Christmas, mild to warm days were the norm during veraison though there were a few typically chilly days scattered throughout the growing season as well. The fruit ripened steadily but surely under the ideal conditions, resulting in flavoursome, lively wines, with well-defined varietal flavours.Vinification
Fermented warm in closed stainless steel fermenters with gentle pumping over, then pressed lightly after eight to ten days on the skins to avoid the use of fining later on. The wine was blended soon after and left to complete malolactic fermentation before ageing in a combination of tank and barrel. The use of oak staves and chips are also used to provide a nuance of oak flavour. The blend was assembled, filtered and bottled in February 2011Tasting Notes
A savoury dusty aroma of liquorice and cocoa powder with ripe prune/plummy fruit aromas reflecting the very warm vintage. A lush, plump, soft and supple wine that seeps across the palate, with fleshy fruit notes of prunes and stewed cherries, and a dash of spice finishing with structured silky fine tannins and a soft warm finish.| Vintage | 2008 |
| Grape varieties | 88% Syrah/Shiraz 4% Merlot 4% Pinot Noir 4% Grenache/Garnacha |
| Region | Great Southern, Western Australia |
| Winemaker | John Durham |
| Closure | Stelvin |
| Alcohol (ABV) | 14.5% |
| Single bottle | £8.79 |
