2002 Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz Tasting Notes

2002 was a classical vintage in the South-West of Western Australia. A generally cooler vintage than 2001, it resulted in wines of greater elegance and fine tannin. The wines demonstrate cool climate spices and herbal characters rather than overt fruit.
This wine is sourced from only the highest regarded vineyards and is given extraordinary attention in the vineyard; canopy management is designed to maximise fruit exposure to the sunlight and yields are low to achieve concentration in the grapes. The grapes are harvested according to flavour with little regard for analytical data. Fermentation occurs in open topped stainless steel tanks with highly aerative pumpovers that are integral in tannin development. At completion of fermentation, the Shiraz is pressed off into French oak barriques of which about 60% are new, the balance being 1 year old. The wine was matured in the barrel for approximately 18 months. There was minimal fining and filtration performed.

Darker in colour hue and density than the Leston, the 2002 Scotsdale Shiraz demonstrates the classic characters of Great Southern Shiraz. Black pepper, dark fruits and savoury aromas and flavours are the predominant characters of the wine.
The textural complexity of the Scotsdale is the stand out element. Typically, Shiraz is noted chiefly for the sweetness of the mid-palate and the fleshiness of the fruit but with the Scotsdale, there is an extra level of textural complexity that marks the Great Southern as a producer of fine Shiraz.

Considerable ageing potential.