Bearded State Mclaren Vale Sparkling Shiraz NV

Description

This is a classic Australian Sparkling Shiraz NV style wine that combines fresh, red berry fruit, violets, a hint of pepper and some lovely tannin and savoury elements. Lovely drinking be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Is it a place? A frame of mind? Attainable by the beardless? These are but some of the questions to ponder while enjoying these wines. Curated and sometimes blended by The Wine Depository owner Philip Smith. Whatever your facial hair situation you are guaranteed to get a wine that offers value and flavour well beyond compare.

McLaren Vale

The maritime climate and sandy soils of McLaren Vale make it a great place for growing grapes. Reds in particular excel here. Shiraz of course, but the Spanish varieties Grenache and Tempranillo seem well suited too. The maritime climate helps mitigate some of the heat from the SA summers and the sandy soils mean that phylloxera could not survive and so they have some of the oldest vines in the world.

Shiraz/Syrah

A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on terroir and/or wine maker influence. The Syrah based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere while the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.