Description
So what’s the Story? We get asked that a lot. Our answer? Every wine has a story. The problem is, most of them are poorly told, and sound the same. Hills, Valleys, the drover’s dog, the nasty horse, the brook, the bridge and the vale. Meaningless topography. Even worse, some are completely contrived, cynically picked to reach broad demographics in broader retail chains. Homogenised, pasteurised, dross. Every wine does have a story. A unique tale of vineyard, season, variety, technique, and timing. Each wine is made by an individual that brings to it his or her own traits and circumstance. It’s these human relationships that make each wine what it is. The relationship between winemaker and wine, maker and vineyard manager, maker and designers, suppliers, media, families, friends and customers. Each experience and exchange influences the final product both in a physical sense and in an attitudinal one. These relationships create the stories that give wine its true worth, for wine is a nothing if not a dialogue between people. Every wine has a story. Every wine is a story.
The Story Grampians Shiraz 2013
The Story Tasting Note
Usually our 8 vineyards are picked across a six to eight week period, different varieties and aspects ripening at different times. With the very warm, early 2013 vintage however every berry, every block, every variety was picked in a week and a half. All ripe at once. All we could do was GO! The warm vintage has provided a classic dark fruit spectrum, but we picked early enough to keep the wines from being too broad. In fact, they are mineral and floral and tightly structured. Finer boned than we had thought. This year’s wine is a blend of the warmer, Hyde Park Vineyard (58%), the cooler, 44yr old Westgate Vineyard (27%) and the balance from the fleshy Rice’s Vineyard (15%).
Wine Front Tasting Note
Grown on the the Hyde Park, Westgate and Rice’s vineyards in the Grampians region. Effectively no new oak. 40% whole bunches. New look labels, it would seem. Refreshing shiraz in some ways though there’s no lack of fruit or indeed firmness of tannin. Velvet, grunt and a rush of juicy boysenberry. Fresh and lively. Cherries, mint, cream and plum. More-ish. Great style. Rated : 93 Points
Nicks Tasting Note
Totally opaque inky black colour with a deep dark purple hue. Aromas of freshly crushed blackberries and plum are followed by some liquorice notes with meaty overtones and spicy cedar also present. Medium to full bodied with a relatively elegant meaty mouthfeel the palate features flavours of blackberries and liquorice interlaced with meaty characters, faint earth, cedar and light pepper on the back palate. Fine grained structural tannins. Aftertaste of subtle blackberry, dried meats, a touch of liquorice and pepper.
Wine Selectors. Tasting Note
The Story Wines is oddly located in a southern suburb of Melbourne, where winemaker Rory Lane receives grapes from some fabulous Grampians and Henty vineyards, and turns them into small release wines like this 2013 Shiraz. Full red purple in the glass, this Shiraz opens with a fragrant nose of black fruits, violets, toasty oak and a peppery lift. Rich, ripe and dense, the palate delivers a powerful mix of dark fruits, strong regional spice notes, fine-grained tannins and excellent length. A generous yet elegant wine.
