Comments:
Deep red colour. Very lifted and intense nose of blackberry fruit, sweet spice and dark chocolate. The palate is very rich and flavoursome with blackberry and plum fruit. In addition to the primary fruit characters there is plenty of complexity in this wine with spice, earthy notes and graphite also evident. There is heaps of mouthfilling flavour complemented by chalky tannins. There is great length of fruit as well.

Winemaking:
The grapes are crushed and destemmed into open fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in fermenter and the ferments are pumped over twice daily to maximise colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25 degrees celcius range which will allow the fruit to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the wine is then put into a mix of French and American oak to mature.

Maturation:
14 to 16 months in 40% new American and French hogsheads, with the balance going into 2nd and 3rd fill barrels.

Vintage:
The 2008 vintage was early with just below average rainfall throughout the year.

Harvested:
April 2008

Reviews:
"The 2008 Shotfire Shiraz was aged for 14-16 months in 40% new French and American oak hogsheads. Purple-colored, it offers up a nose of toasty oak, Asian spices, incense, blueberry, and blackberry. On the palate it has excellent flavors in a plush, nearly opulent style. The wine is balanced, rich, fleshy, and ripe. Drink this full-flavored effort over the next 6-8 years."
- Wine Advocate (Dec. 09), 90 pts