2022 Koomilya GT Block Shiraz
2022 Koomilya GT Block Shiraz

2022 Koomilya GT Block Shiraz

97 pts
S.C. Pannell |McLaren Vale |Shiraz
From vines once grafted over from Gewürztraminer, this single-block Shiraz shows a lifted, fragrant side of Koomilya while still carrying the depth and savoury power the vineyard is known for.
Price:
$130.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The GT Block is always the outlier of the Koomilya trio – a little more lifted, a little more fragrant – and in 2022 it has delivered something really special. The block takes its name from the vines’ quirky past life as Gewürztraminer before being grafted to Shiraz back in the 70s. Sitting on slaty siltstone scattered with ironstone, and facing south in its own quiet corner of the vineyard, it consistently produces a style that’s brighter and more aromatic than its siblings.

2022’s long, cool season gave the fruit time to build layers of tannin and complexity without ever tipping into heaviness. It’s savoury and structured, yes, but also alive with red fruits, spice and a kind of mineral freshness that seems to hum through all of Pannell’s Koomilya wines. As always, it was hand-harvested, fermented with native yeast and a portion of whole berries, and raised in large old oak to let the vineyard speak for itself.

Made in very small quantities, the GT Block is a fascinating expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz – perfumed, detailed and full of energy – and a reminder of just how distinctive this site really is.

97 points
"Tannins are expertly extracted and this is made for the long haul. Outstanding."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

Marcus Ellis

Marcus Ellis

Halliday Wine Companion 97 Points

The Koomilya shiraz trio tends to follow a similar pattern, showing distinctly different characters from three blocks in Upper Tintara so near to each other. The GT Block is usually the most fragrant, lithe and lifted and, while that is true, it is also true that this seems to have gone up in intensity and depth. The distinctive kelp, nori, dried violet and black tea notes are there, but there seems a deeper, more thrumming heartbeat this vintage, a core of dark minerals and spice. There’s also tapenade, pomegranate molasses, a hint of musk, even. Tannins are expertly extracted and this is made for the long haul. Outstanding.

2022 Vintage
2022 was a La Niña year. Winter and spring were wet and cold, followed by a mild summer and autumn. The season afforded long hang times and, therefore, greater tannin development.

These wines show strength, intensity, and glorious grape tannins, which wind the palate together almost like a double helix. The complex structure pulls you straight through. They illustrate what I hope modern McLaren Vale wine will be—harking back to the traditions of the 1960s, without the artifice of winemaking.

Above all, these wines look and taste Koomilya.

– Stephen Pannell

Wine Overview
A single-block Shiraz from 33-year-old vines grafted onto Gewürztraminer planted in 1974. Grown on slaty siltstone with laminated ironstone rubble at 116m altitude, facing south. This is the most isolated of the three blocks.

Harvest & Fermentation
Hand-harvested on 16 March. Whole berries were gently separated from the rachis and placed in an old oak fermenter. After spontaneous fermentation and 14 days on skins, the wine was gently pressed.

Maturation
The wine settled in tank for 11 days before transfer to an 11-year-old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and six months of maturation. It was then racked once and returned to vat for extended maturation. Bottled without fining or additions on 27 September 2023.

Wine Analysis

Alcohol: 14%

pH: 3.55

TA: 5.9 g/L

Total sulphur: 54 ppm

Wine Overview
A single-block Shiraz from 50-year-old vines grown on slaty siltstone flecked with ironstone rubble at 108m altitude, facing southeast and located closest to the restored creek line.

Harvest & Fermentation
Hand-harvested on 14 March. Whole berries were gently separated from the rachis and placed in an old oak fermenter. After spontaneous fermentation and 11 days on skins, the wine was gently pressed.

Maturation
The wine settled in tank for 23 days before transfer to a 10-year-old French oak vat for malolactic fermentation and six months of maturation. It was then racked once and returned to vat for extended maturation. Bottled without fining or additions on 27 September 2023.

Wine Analysis

Alcohol: 14%

pH: 3.58

TA: 5.9 g/L

Total sulphur: 45 ppm


The Place
Koomilya is more than just a vineyard in the Upper Tintara district of McLaren Vale – it is a place that delivers clarity and purpose. Planted originally to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro, Riesling, and Chardonnay, the vineyard has evolved since its purchase in 2012. Chardonnay has been grafted to Touriga Nacional, Riesling to Tempranillo, more Mataro has been planted, and most Cabernet Sauvignon has been replaced with Grenache and Malbec. Shiraz remains, though at times its place has been questioned.

For me, all great wines must have a sense of place. My role has been to prune every vine, clear the scrub and creek line of feral olives, encourage the blue and red gums to thrive, replant native species, and remove bone seed to give orchids a chance to flourish. This work has allowed Koomilya to develop a true sense of place. The hum of beneficial arthropods and native fauna sets the property on a frequency that affects all who visit. Yet the question remains: do I have the right varieties in the right place?

Philosophy
From Grenache, I have learned that sweetness must be avoided to make truly great warm-climate reds. Shiraz, too, should not be sweet. I want dryness and texture from fruit, not oak. Balance, phenolics, and the absence of overripeness are critical. Shrivel must be avoided at all costs.

Yields are managed to an almost uneconomical three tonnes per hectare through minimal irrigation, crop thinning, leaf plucking, and strict vineyard uniformity. I generally pick at 13.5 Baumé, though I am not afraid of alcohol levels influencing the final balance. The goal is ripeness matched with intensity.

Warm-climate Australia needs to reclaim Shiraz, to recontextualise modern Australian red wine as something that speaks of place. Shiraz, when grown and made with restraint, can achieve this. At Koomilya, that journey is more important than ever, so the three blocks of Shiraz remain.

2022 Release
This year marks the fourth release of the three single-block Shiraz wines from the 2022 vintage. Each block is subtly different – in aspect and soil composition – but the winemaking is deliberately similar, allowing each to speak with its own voice.

I suggest tasting them in the order presented, so that you can experience what we are striving to achieve: preserving the landscape, and expressing the unique aromas and flavours that are unmistakably Upper Tintara and undeniably Koomilya.

– Stephen Pannell

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Shiraz
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2022
Closure Screw Cap

S.C. Pannell

Quite simply, Stephen Pannell is one of Australia’s finest and most imaginative winemakers. He’s a Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, a McLaren Vale Bushing King winner, a two-time Max Schubert Trophy winner, International Red Winemaker of the Year and Decanter Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Contributors to the World of Wine. Nick Stock described him as potentially “one of the greatest Australian winemakers ever to make wines in our age”.

Steve’s wines are made with modern Australian food and wine culture at the front of mind. The wines come from a range of stunning McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills vineyards, and are made from sustainable varieties that properly suit his South Australian climate. They're built around brightness of fruit and savoury tannin structure, and whatever your poison is Steve has you covered!

He is truly one of the most forward-thinking and inspirational Australian winemakers alive today.

Visionary winemaker Stephen Charles Pannell Discover S.C. Pannell

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