Saturday, April 2, 2016

Saltram Moculta Rd. Single Vineyard Shiraz

Saltram, as a result of ownership and management changes, has been a bit of a brand salad: a lot of starts and stops. This is a shame, because the winery has access to the fruit from the Eastern Slopes of the Barossa Valley, which is higher in altitude and cooler, and should be quite attractive.

This 2010 Saltram Moculta Rd. Single Vineyard Shiraz is from the Eden Valley, though. I assume it is from the Fechner Vineyard, which has been the source of many excellent wines. However, there are different parts of this vineyard, not all of old vines.

The wine opens with an intense nose of red plum and spice. A deep purple colour engulfs the glass. On the palate, the wine is not as big and generous as the last two I reviewed. This is a more elegant wine, while it stills has considerably more weight than a cool climate Shiraz. Pepper is a strong element on the palate, as is alcohol, unfortunately. My main issue with this wine is that it has no personality. It tastes generic. It falls short of its potential, and a bit off the finish, too. Having said this, this is still quite an acceptable example of Barossa/Eden Valley Shiraz.

Score: 91/+

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