The Agonist Shiraz Mataro

Ripe, red berry fruit and rose petal combine with complex French and American oak to deliver balanced fine tannins and a lasting finish.

Plum, blackberry, cranberry, and crunchy red fruit. Spice of cinnamon, black pepper, and toasty vanilla.

Wild mushroom risotto or Risotto with duck confit

The fruit was sourced from our Loxton North vineyard from old vines planted in the early 1980’s and grown in red sandy loam soils. The block has undergone redevelopment over the past few years. In 2014, a new irrigation system was put in and many varieties re-trellised and retrained to ensure the future of this vineyard and in return providing complex and balanced fruit. The growing season in 2018 was optimal for growing fruit in the Riverland with warm dry days and cool nights. Shiraz was harvested on March 6th and followed by mataro on March 16th.

Each parcel was fermented separately with a combination of 4-6 pump overs each day controlling temperature and maximizing extraction of colour, flavour, and tannins. Malolactic fermentation began towards the end of ferment. Once dry, each ferment parcel sat on skins for a few days before pressing off. The wine then spent time in new French and American puncheons for 12 months prior to bottling in September 2019.

The 2018 vintage experienced exceptional weather with little rainfall, warm days, and cool mornings across all of our vineyards. As a result, we experienced optimal growing conditions with little disease pressure which allowed the vines to provide us with lovely, clean, ripe fruit.