Country :

Chasing excellence since 1966

You confirm you are aged 18 years or over, are of legal drinking age and that any purchases you make will be for personal use only. By selecting the “Remember Me” option, you consent to us using cookies to remember the validation of your year of birth. See our Privacy Policy for information on how we handle your personal information.

Welcome to Wolf Blass Explore Our Wines 

Brown Label Shiraz 2017

Brown Label Shiraz 2017

Brown Label Shiraz 2017

Overview

Overview

Brown Label Shiraz brings together the best of three regions, uniting power and length from the Barossa Valley, the plush opulence of McLaren Vale and the fragrance and finesse of Langhorne Creek in a synergistic blend.

The original Wolf Blass Brown Label Shiraz was first released in 1975, a blend of Shiraz from Langhorne Creek and the Barossa Valley. The wine came to be known as Brown Label ‘Classic Shiraz’, evolving into the finest Shiraz blend of the vintage, with fruit selected from the year’s three most outstanding regions.

Batches of fruit from each vineyard were fermented separately in small open-top fermenters for 5 to 10 days. Plunging and gentle irrigation were used to work the cap and optimise flavour, colour and tannin extraction, providing for concentration and depth of fruit, while keeping tannins plush. Select batches completed fermentation in barrel, contributing to mid palate texture, while others finished fermentation on skins, providing structural length and focus. After 16 months’ oak maturation, each batch was carefully assessed before blending, to create a truly synergistic wine that brings together the finest attributes of Shiraz from each viticultural region.

Varietal Shiraz
Vintage 2017
Country Australia
Region Multi-Region Blend
Volume 750 mL
Closure Screw Cap
Alc/Vol 14.5%
Peak Drinking Now - 2030
Winemaker Marie Clay

Awards and Accolades

Awards and Accolades

93 points Jane Faulkner

Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

"Black-purple hue; awash with plush black plums and cherries, rich and ripe almost too much. Full-bodied, supple yet substantial tannins partly oak derived - sweet coconutty oak yet has a softness and appeal."

Food Pairing

Food Pairing

Beef
Lamb
Duck
Veg
Pizza

Taste Description

Taste Description

Nose

Complex layers of black and blue fruits with notes of liquorice, dark chocolate and warm spice.

Flavours and Palate

Fruit generosity and textural, plush tannins combine to provide a wine with intensity of flavour, density on the palate, and fruit length on the finish. Subtle nougat oak supports the fruit and provides creaminess to the texture. Tannins are powdery and layered, building through the mid-palate and coming together to support a generous, long finish. A complete wine with power and intensity, yet finesse, character and eminent drinkability.

Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking

Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking

South Australia

Home to the oldest vines in the country, and no less than 18 wine growing regions, South Australia accounts for almost 50% of Australia’s wine production. The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Coonawarra are well known for their world class reds, with Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley and Eden Valley praised for their exceptional Chardonnay and Riesling.

Winter was drier than average, followed by a warm, dry spring and early-summer, with good conditions for flowering and fruit set. January and February were mild, with welcome rain in late January slowing ripening. This allowed for early lignification of seeds and stalks, with development of rich, bright flavours, dense colours and ripe tannins.

Marie Clay - Winemaker

Wolf Blass winemaker Marie Clay discovered wine through her Dad's stellar collection of South Australian reds. Like all good fathers, he stocked up on the birth year of his two daughters. In Marie's case, that just happened to be a lovely bottle of 1979 Wolf Blass Black Label, which was cracked at her 21st birthday.

After graduating in 2000 from the University of Adelaide with first Class honours in Oenology, Marie received the Southcorp wine scholarship. This allowed her to travel and work with the company’s best winemakers across the Australian wine regions of Coonawarra, Barossa, Sunraysia and Great Western. Following these experiences, Marie worked with Lindeman’s for 4 years at both their NSW and Victorian wineries, overseeing white wine production.

In December 2006 Marie joined the Wolf Blass winemaking team in the Barossa, where she relished the opportunity to work with premium red wines from vineyard to bottle. She loves working in a modern winery that allows the fruit's potential to be realised. Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale, the heartland regions of the Grey Label range, are particularly close to her heart.