Shanahans Wines

“It’s the old dog for the hard road and the puppy dog for the footpath”

Region: Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep dark black with a purple crimson hue.

Bouquet: Initially the overwhelming characters on the nose are blackberry and plum which is consistent with the select vineyard source. Blackcurrant and chocolate reveal themselves when allowed to breathe.

Palate: Probably the most full-bodied Old Dog we have seen in recent years which is a reflection of vintage and vineyard source, therefore I suggest allowing it to breathe if drinking in its youth. The dark plum and blackberry carry over from the nose whilst some blueberry, chocolate and liquorice all play alongside each other harmoniously. The finish shows silky-smooth tannins, soft under-lying oak and earthy characters which are pivotal to the balance of this wine. We release this wine to ensure the drinkability upon release as well as longevity although do suggest allowing this exceptional Shiraz to breathe to truly reflect perfectly who we are and where we are in terms of fruit source and sub regional character from another great Barossa Valley vintage, which celebrates our commitment to the region, traditional winemaking and hands off approach.

Winemaking: Sourced from a patchwork of vineyards in the north western side of the Barossa Valley. The Shiraz grapes were individually picked out in the vineyard for their exceptional quality, hence we allow the use of multiple sites to ensure optimum flavour profile. The grapes are picked and delivered to the winery and gently worked through the de-stemmer before being transferred to 2 and 4 tonne open fermenters. The juice is pumped over twice a day for seven days before draining and loading the basket press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine has completed its malolactic ferment it is matured in new 15% and older 75% oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling with minimal fining and filtration.

Cellaring: We suggest decanting and allowing to breathe if drinking early as our natural winemaking techniques can mean sediment may be present in the wine. The Old Dog Shiraz will mature and evolve in bottle for up to 10 years.

“A promise is in honour's debt”

Variety: Grenache
Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Bright cherry red with purple hues.

Bouquet: Juicy characters on the nose featuring dark plum and red currant which leap from the glass and emulate fermenting must.

Palate: Dark plum, blackberry, spiced cherries, raspberry, minerals and Asian spices wrap around a skeleton of fresh acidity and fine mineral laden tannins.

Winemaking: Bush vine Grenache was handpicked and delivered to the winery where the fruit was partially de-stemmed into an open fermenter. Indigenous fermentation with 30% whole bunch was retained adding more complexity and structure. The fruit was then hand plunged for 10 days; after the wine was then pressed off skins using a basket press and into old puncheon barrels where the wine completed primary fermentation. It completed natural malolactic fermentation and was matured on lees for a 6 month period before being bottled with minimal filtration and no fining.

Cellaring: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5-8 years.

"Our love will never grow old, it's Evergreen"

Variety: Riesling
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 11.5%
Winemaker: John Harris
Colour: Brilliant pale green

Bouquet: Floral, lemon and lime with lychee aromas followed by apple and some orange blossom adding depth and complexity to the nose.

Palate: Youthfully attractive but full and textured; the palate opens up with layers of flavour highlighted by citrus characters. Lemon and lime reflect on the palate whilst some crisp apple and natural fruit acidity give a really textural mouthfeel. Extremely approachable in its youth upon release, the wine will have the ability to age gracefully over time.

Winemaking:  The Riesling is sourced from a single vineyard in the cool climate, high altitude region of Eden Valley in the Barossa ranges. The grapes were individually picked out in the vineyards for their exceptional quality and picked separately to the rest of the vineyard. To ensure the grapes were harvested at the optimum flavour and acid balance, the ripening of the grapes was monitored with regular berry tasting in the lead up to picking, then harvested in the cool of the night. After crushing and must chilling, the free-run juice was drained and clarified with minimum skin contact. This juice was then cool fermented between 13 – 15C with selected yeast to enhance the delicate Riesling flavours. The wine was bottled with a screwcap closure to retain the pristine aromas and flavours.

Cellaring Potential: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5 years for those that enjoy aged style Riesling.

“Inside my heart forever you’ll go, If forever exists…”

Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 15%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep garnet in colour.

Bouquet: Profoundly scented with a complex nose of dark chocolate, blackberries, mulberry, fig and spice. There are also suggestions of dried herbs and pencil shavings.

Palate: The palate reveals a well-balanced wine of massive proportions with plush, velvety structure that’s perfectly in tune with the fruit-forward, yet savoury characters that give it epic persistence. Dark chocolate, mocha and black olive all appear within a bed of chewy tannins and uplifting acid; the finish just goes on and on...

Winemaking: Sourced from select vines located in a single vineyard in Marananga region on the western side of the Barossa Valley from vines planted in 1900. The Shiraz grapes were individually picked out in the vineyard for their exceptional quality and picked separately to the rest of the vineyard.

The grapes are then handpicked and delivered to the winery and de-stemmed by hand on sorting tables before being transferred to a small purpose-built concrete fermenter. The juice is pumped over two to three times daily for seven days to extract, homogenize and regulate temperature before draining and loading the basket press by shovel. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 24 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. This juice is then blended with the juice collected earlier. After the wine has completed its malolactic ferment, it is matured in a mixture of American and French Puncheon barrels for 3 years without topping then bottled without fining or filtration.

Cellaring: Allow it to breathe for an hour or two prior to drinking to allow the true nature of the wine to reveal itself; this wine is built to last for decades or, If Forever Exists...

“You reap what you sow; success doesn’t come with ease”

Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 15.0%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep purple/garnet colour.

Bouquet: A beautiful aromatic bouquet of dark chocolate, plum, blackberries, earth and black pepper.

Palate: Concentrated fruit flavours of blackberry, plum, black olive, dark chocolate and earth. Allowing the wine time to open up will reveal a natural fruit elegance and perfectly engulfed oak flavours. The finish is long with perfectly balanced natural fruit acid and silky-smooth tannins which will ensure the longevity of this release.

Winemaking: Sourced from a single old vineyard in the Greenock sub region of the Barossa Valley on the Western Ridge. The Shiraz grapes were individually picked out in this vineyard for their exceptional quality just for this specific wine as the vintage conditions ensured small bunches and bunch numbers with tiny concentrated berries which I felt was perfect for this limited release and the style I wanted to achieve. The grapes were picked and delivered to the winery for crushing and were fermented in one small batch. Fermented with submerged cap in a small open top stainless-steel fermenter the skins were basket pressed and combined with the juice before being drained into barrel for 24 months maturation prior to bottling with minimal fining and filtration.

Cellaring:Drinking exceptionally now upon release and will continue to evolve and drink well for the next 7-10 years.

“Silence is of great value, some things are better left unsaid”

Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Dark ruby purple in colour.

Bouquet: Lavish nose showing profound notes of blood plum, mulberries and underlying tones of black pepper, earth and elegant oak.

Palate: Voluptuous, opulent and yet refined are the trademarks of Silence is Golden. This year the vintage produced perfect fruit with a great level of intensity. Highly concentrated featuring alluring flavours of blackcurrant, plum, dark cherry, cassis with velvety smooth tannins and the slightest touch of acidity. Wonderfully integrated oak ensuring great intensity, length and cellaring potential.

Winemaking: Sourced from three blocks in the western Barossa Valley, from vines aged up to 64 years. The 2018 vintage is another standout vintage and one I would say is well suited to the style of wine I enjoy to drink and craft. The timing of picking was critical to ensure wines did not become over ripe therefore we carefully watched and picked based on berry ripeness not just Baume. The Shiraz grapes were selected based on flavour profile to ensure consistency of style. The grapes were handpicked and delivered to the winery and gently worked through the de-stemmer before being transferred to an open fermenter with 20% whole berries. The juice is pumped over twice a day for seven days before draining and loading the basket press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine has completed its malolactic ferment, it is matured in 23% new and 77% older American and French oak barrels for 18 months prior to bottling with minimal fining or filtration.

Cellaring: Allow it to breathe if drinking early. This wine is built to last and will drink magnificently over the next decade.

"Why bark when you have a dog"

Variety: Grenache (67%) Shiraz (27%) Mataro (6%)
Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.0%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Dark purple with some lighter shades of red.

Bouquet:Aromatics are once again the highlight of this time-honoured Barossa blend. Classic Grenache is the obvious driving force which gives a big hit of perfumed, fragrant flowery and juicy red fruits and a touch of cherry, forest floor and exotic spice create the depth and complexity.

Palate: Silky fruit driven style which is quite supple with good mid palate weight. The wine has flavours of bright crunchy red fruits, with a lick of dried herb spice and dark cherry. The fine subtle tannins and acid provide the core structure whilst the natural fruit sweetness from the Grenache ensures fruit is the key component. The use of old large format oak creates a fine flowing style of wine with just the right amount of fruit weight and finesse whilst still giving length ensuring its multi-dimensional.

Winemaking: The Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro were all sourced from the Western Barossa Valley with the use of some older 65-year-old Grenache and 70-year-old Shiraz providing the core structure, whilst the Mataro adds the earthy character. The vineyards are hand tended and the parcels used were selected and isolated from the rest of the vineyard picking a little earlier than fruit destined for other wines. The grapes were hand-picked and delivered to the winery and the Shiraz and Mataro were de- stemmed whilst half the Grenache component was left as whole bunches before being transferred to an open top fermenter. Fermentation was cool with the juice being pumped over twice a day for seven days before draining and loading the press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine completed its malolactic ferment, it was matured in 2-3-year-old large format 500 litre and 300 litre oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling.

Cellaring: Great to drink now whilst young and vibrant, but will mature and develop complexity over the next 5 years.

"Our love will never grow old, it's Evergreen"

Variety: Riesling
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 11.5%
Winemaker: John Harris
Colour: Pale straw with a green hue.

Bouquet: A delicate perfumed nose of lemon blossom and lime with a minerally character adding a third dimension.

Palate: Youthfully attractive but full and textured; the palate opens up with layers of flavour highlighted by citrus characters. Lemon and lime reflect on the palate whilst some crisp apple and natural fruit acidity give a really textural mouthfeel. Extremely approachable in its youth upon release, the wine will have the ability to age gracefully over time.

Winemaking: The Riesling is sourced from a single vineyard in the cool climate, high altitude region of Springton, Eden Valley in the Barossa ranges. The grapes were individually picked out in the vineyard for their exceptional quality to capture natural fruit acidity and freshness of flavour. To ensure the grapes were harvested at the optimum flavour and acid balance, the ripening of the grapes was monitored with regular berry tasting in the lead up to picking, then harvested in the cool of the night. After crushing and must chilling, the free-run juice was drained and clarified with minimum skin contact. This juice was then cool fermented between 13 – 15C with selected yeast to enhance the delicate Riesling flavours. The wine was bottled with a screw cap closure to retain the pristine aromas and flavours.

Cellaring Potential: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5 years for those that enjoy aged style Riesling.