We had a very dry spring leading up to vintage 2016 and it was windy, too. We expect windy conditions in Willunga, but this was pretty intense. October and December were both pretty warm, whereas November was mild. Very healthy crops were recorded across all varieties in McLaren Vale. We had a huge downpour at the end of January a few days before the whites were due to be picked; this kind of weather event tends to give Joch a sense of tightening around the left chest area, neck and sometimes down the arm. However this 50mm downpour succeeded in refreshing the vines, giving us a few more days before picking and bringing the lawns back from the brink. February was mild with cool nights and March provided pretty good picking conditions, give or take a few warm days.

Scarce Earth is a McLaren Vale initiative exploring and celebrating the geological climatic and soil diversity of the region. All wines come from a single block, a small plot of land with a unique flavour profile and personality.

The 2016 Chanticleer Shiraz is made using Shiraz grapes from our Chanticleer Vineyard. It has been hand-made, hand bottled and is unfiltered. The wine was open fermented then spent no time in oak to allow the expression of the vineyard in its purest form.

Soil Type:          Urrbrae stony loam

Geology:           Christies Beach formation, Quaternary period

Elevation:          138 metres

Vine Age:          33 years

Vine clone:        1127 clone

Volume:              33 dozen

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