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Vintage
The 2006 vintage will go down in recorded history as the coolest ever. Certainly Perth had the coolest summer for some 50 years. In light of this most harvest dates were at least one month later than usual so it is what we would describe as an atypical vintage. The positives have been that flavour ripeness tracked beautifully with rising sugar levels and acid retention was also higher giving crisp, clean wines, which will cellar well in the short to medium term.
Harvest
The fruit for this wine was machine-harvested in February and March of 2006.
Viticulture
Both varieties were sourced from the warmer climes of the Swan Valley and Greater Perth. A good portion of this wine was made from our Swan Valley 50 yr old Estate vines
Oak Treatment
Twenty months in 3 and 4 yr old French and American oak barriques
Winemaking Summary
Immediately after harvest the fruit was destemmed and crushed to 20 tonne static fermenters. Both rack and return and pumpovers were used for extraction and cap management during the fermentation which took place using a selected yeast strain. After fermentation the wine was drained, skins pressed with the pressings going back in with the free-run wine. The wine was then inoculated with a known MLF strain. Post MLF, further racking took place to oak. Following this oak maturation the wine was blended and filtered to bottle.
Colour
Dark ruby red
Nose
Ripe plummy fruitcake aromas with a hint of leafiness.
Palate
The 2006 Element Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon defines all that is great about this classic Australian blend. Beautiful ripe, sweet and juicy dark berry flavours with hints of Shiraz spiciness and Cabernet eucalypt. The vanillin oak characters mingle enticingly through the blend with the texture of the wine weighted by soft and furry tannins. This wine although drinking superbly now will certainly mature and age for at least another five years.
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