Trophy, Best South Australian Shiraz, 2022 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards. Sourced from the best fruit off the Landau block (the lion’s share is from the apex of the vineyard) and further classified in barrel post-fermentation, the Orion represents the cream of Murdoch Hill’s Syrah. The site is at 400 metres above sea level, predominately east-facing on shallow, red loam soils with varying levels of schist rock and ironstone. The vines were planted in 1998.
Hand-picked fruit spent 21 days on skins (with a 25% whole bunch component) in a two-tonne open fermenter. It was then transferred into 500-litre Stockinger puncheons (25% new) where it rested for 10 months. The result is a high-toned, perfumed and intense Syrah, with reverberating power and striking freshness. It’s savoury, spicy and packed with blue fruits, balanced beautifully by silky density, composed acidity and precise, graphite-like tannins.