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Wine Description
The Story
The Abednego completes the Icon trio of super-premium reds from Grant Burge Wines, sitting alongside the highly awarded Meshach Shiraz and Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit for this wine is sourced from vines with more than 100 years of age. The old vines deliver fruit with incredible concentration and depth giving the resultant wine the ability to develop over many years. Due to the dry growing season in 2014, crop levels were very low. However, they produced extremely high-quality red wines with great colour and magnificent structure. The hand-picked fruit is a blend of 38% Shiraz, 35% Mourvèdre and 27% Grenache.
After crushing, the juice was fermented on skins for seven to eight days depending on the variety and unique qualities of each batch. Once fermentation was complete, selected parcels were either pressed into stainless steel for settling or left in their original fermenters for extended maceration for three to four weeks on skins. The wines were regularly tasted to determine when to finish maceration, and once the desired tannin and flavour structure was achieved it was gently pressed and transferred to oak. A combination of seasoned larger format Foudre vats (2500L) along with French oak puncheons (500L) are used for this wine with a total of 16 months' maturation prior to bottling. The larger oak format retains freshness of fruit yet delivers the benefits of ageing in oak with a softening of the tannins and maturation of the aromas and flavours.
Wine Information
{THE FRUIT}
The Abednego completes the Icon trio from Grant Burge Wines, sitting alongside the highly awarded Meshach and Shadrach which are Grant’s flagship Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is 100% Barossa using fruit sourced from Grant’s own vineyards with an average age of 110 years old. The vines deliver fruit of incredible concentration and depth, giving the resultant wine the ability to develop over many years. The fruit is all handpicked, with the 2008 vintage a blend of 44% Shiraz, 37% Grenache and 17% Mourvèdre.
{THE WINEMAKING}
After crushing and de-stemming, the grapes were fermented in static “potter type” fermenters and regularly pumped over. Once fermentation was complete the wine underwent extended maceration on skins to enhance the tannin structure. Following this process the free run and pressings were held separately while the winemakers decided on the perfect blend. A portion of the wine was then transferred into a 2,500 litre vat, with the remainder spending 16 months in one and two year old French oak hogsheads.
{THE COMMENTS}
The 2008 Abednego is deep crimson in colour, with a vivid purple hue. The highly aromatic nose displays delicate aromas of violets, sweet spices, Turkish delight and red fruits. A palate layered with fine tannins and acidity provides the structure to support concentrated and lengthy flavours of sweet spiced plums, red cherries and a hint of dark chocolate. The structure of this wine will reward careful cellaring for 10 years or more, and the flavour matches brilliantly with game meats such as duck and venison.