Elate Grange Cuvee 2013


From our first experimental vintage in 2008 our Elate Grange Cuvée has been a fine homage to one of the Australia's most prestigious iconic wines, The Grange.

Primarily Shiraz driven with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Elate is a beautifully seductive, modern wine that combines some of the best qualities of great wines of Bordeaux and the Rhone. Bill describes the sensation of drinking this wine as similar to sitting in a big, old overstuffed sofa - comfortable and luxurious!

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Elate shows a deep purple color inviting you to taste. A weighted and concentrated wine combining intense, ripe plum aromas with a touch of wood smoke. At first taste you notice the wine is already complex with smoky, coffee and plum-like fruit, integrated oak, fine tannin and promising length. This is a balanced and opulent wine showing long term potential.
Located high on the Dry Creek Valley bench land the Vesenaz vineyard is planted on sandy soil filled with shale and serpentine rock which will not hold water. Irrigation immediately drains out in the same way as the hillside vineyards of the Rhône Valley, so here we planted the classic Rhône grape varieties including a Hermitage clone of similar heritage to the one James Busby took to Australia in 1831 and from which the famous *Grange Hermitage* was produced.
The 2013 vintage exceeded our expectations on both quality and quantity. Rare as it was to have another fruitful year right after the record breaking 2012 crush, the quality across all varietals was also excellent. The overall vigor of this growing season was high which required more canopy management and more vigilance with regard to pest abatement.
Harvest began and finished early, the timing of crop maturity being dictated entirely by our canopy management practices and manually reduced crop load. By addressing canopy management and green fruit harvesting early we were able to significantly reduce pest pressure and encourage early fruit ripening. The final wine quality in tank was excellent across the board for all varietals and appellations.
French Oak for 22 months, approximately 40% new, 40% one use and the balance neutral.
Case Production = 645 cases. No allergens were used in the making of this wine.
Color Red
Vintage 2013
Harvest Date 23rd Sep 2013
Vintage 26°
Style Red Rhône
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Varietal Rhône Blend
Date Bottled 18th Aug 2015
Drinkable 2016 - 2022
Alcohol 14.50%
Bottle Size 750ml