Arila Gardens Quartz and Sand Gardens Shiraz 2019

I will confess that these wines were new to me, but what a debut! Quintessential Barossa beauties of the highest quality. The team believe that the Quartz Garden provides opulence, chocolate and black fruits. The Sand Gardens site gives aromatics and structure. These vineyards are in the Moppa sub-region. The grapes received a cold-soak for 36 hours, at 12°C. The wine is 100% whole berries. Fermentation was in small open top fermenters for seven days, with gentle pumping over and hand plunging. 18 months maturation follows, in French oak, 35% of which is new. Both this wine and the grenache show just what a stunning vintage 2018 was.

This wine was almost black in appearance, so opaque. There are notes of plums immediately apparent, with dark chocolate, soy and black fruits. Ripe, dense and yet finely balanced. The oak is so well integrated that it appears invisible. The texture is supple, the tannins silky and the wine has amazing length. Black cherries start to emerge near the finish. Stunning stuff. Love it.