Layer Cake Shiraz 2017
(South Australia)

About this Winery:
Layer Cake works directly with the farmers that grow their grapes to exacting standards in some of the most diversely-layered vineyards around the world. They are handpicked, separated and fermented with care, then aged in French Oak. The character of each Layer Cake wine is influenced by the vineyard soil, which is layered like a cake…every layer tells a story. For this Shiraz, they pull from vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley - from the sandy-soiled blocks on the sea coast of Gulf St. Vincent to the Terra Rosa-based, tiny-berried, wind-blown rolling hills in the Barossa Zone. The microclimates provide a broad array of flavors to blend into a complex, rich, full wine.

Vineyard Notes:
South Australia is arguably one of the top Shiraz-growing regions of the world. Within SA, the McLaren Vale and the Barossa are the most diverse and historic sub-regions, with vines dating back to the 1830s. The microclimates within these areas are what give Layer Cake Shiraz its complexity. The McLaren Vale is bordered on one side by water and the other by an ancient mountain range – Gulf St. Vincent and the Adelaide Hills, in this case. The Vale is moderated in temperature by the sea, as the warm air gets trapped in pockets of the undulating hills. These blocks have deeper soils and produce wines with big, mouth-filling fruit. The Barossa has shallow red soils with limestone underneath and is directly in the path of the brutal heat and dust storms that emanate from the Great Australian Outback. The vines struggle to survive, producing tiny berries with thick skins and wines with big structure and intensity.

Tasting Notes:
The aromas of cocoa, warm spice and dark fruit are very powerful from the first whiff. In the mouth, the wine is layered with rich blackberry, dark cherries and hints of dark, creamy chocolate ganache. The finish lingers on, hanging on your palate while the fruit and spice flavors slowly change and fade.