2013 KILIKANOON COVENANT SHIRAZ
REGION: Clare Valley, South Australia
VARIETALS: Shiraz
MATURATION:18 months in French oak barriques (30% new)
ALCOHOL: 14.5% alc/vol
WINEMAKING: The fruit for the Covenant Shiraz was hand-picked from six dry-grown premium vineyards with an average vine age of 30 to 40 years, located in the Clare Valley. Traditional methods of vinification were used with fermentation taking place in small open fermenters followed by a gentle basket pressing.
TASTING NOTES: A generously lifted nose featuring black cherries, savory meats, kitchen spices and subtle charry oak notes. The palate offers a richly textured yet surprisingly cultivated mouthfeel. The dark fruits, cherries and spices carry over from the nose superbly and combines expressively with the quality French oak and natural wine tannins. Crafted in a style that is delicious now but will also reward further cellaring.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM: 93+ pts The Wine Advocate, 92 pts Vinous, 92 pts Wine Spectator, 91 pts Wine Enthusiast
ABOUT KILIKANOON: Founded in 1997 by Kevin Mitchell, Kilikanoon is a boutique Clare Valley winery with an international reputation for producing regionally expressive, terroir-driven wines. The Kilikanoon property, featuring a circa 1860s stone cottage housing Kilikanoon tasting room, was originally settled by early English migrants who named it after an historic old mansion in Cornwall. On purchasing the property in the 1990s, Kevin Mitchell inherited 30 year old Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache and Riesling vineyards, many of which were planted by his father, Mort, in the 1960s. Fifteen years on, with the addition of partners Nathan Waks, a principal cellist with the Sydney Symphony, and Bruce Baudinet, Managing Director of Oracle Estates, Kilikanoon is rated by US and Australian critics as one of the Clare Valley’s outstanding wineries, producing bracingly intense and long-lived Rieslings, along with powerful, yet balanced, Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
