Ralph Fowler Shiraz

Winemaker Ralph Fowler

Vintage Current Vintage (Enquiries Welcome)

Region Mt Benson Coonawarra SA

Ralph Fowler wines is a family owned winery. We grow our own grapes and hand make the wines in our own winery on the estate. The family has a long history in the wine industry and started our own winery at Mount Benson in 1998. Mount Benson wine region is located on the coast west of Coonawarra and boasts a cool strongly maritime climate and red sandy loam soils (tera rossa) over limestone.

 The Vines

The Shiraz vines were planted in 2000 to low yielding premium clones on vigour reducing root stocks. The vines are cane pruned by hand to keep yields to 2 -2.5 tonnes per acre. The V shaped lyre trellis ensures maximum fruit flavours are achieved and the leading edge PRD (partial rootzone drying) irrigation principals are environmentally friendly using less than 1megaliter per hectare and giving superior quality. The grapes are hand picked

 The winemaking

The wines are hand made, basket pressed and matured in french oak barriques for 18 months. The winemaking is non intrusive, the bunches are destemmed only and elevated into shallow 3 tonne open fermenters where the fermenters are hand worked before gently pressing out in our basket press. This process entirely eliminates any maceration of the fruit and the resulting harsh or coarse tannins. Approximately 20% of the barrels are new each vintage.

Cellar The Shiraz drinks well as a young wine but will reward cellaring for those who prefer aged wine. It will develop perfume and character and soften further with time.

Cellar Try 3 to 4 years or 11 years