Slate Shiraz Blewitt Springs 2021

The original Upper Tintara winery was built in 1863 and is one of the few wineries to pre-date the use of concrete and the original fermenters were made from massive slabs of Slate quarried in the Willunga Hills. The winery had slowly decayed for 95 years before we restored the last standing Slate fermenters in 2018. They are thought to be the last of their type remaining in Australia – and quite possibly the world.

Fruit from the Moreton Bay block of the Upper Tintara vineyard is destemmed, crushed and chilled before being bucketed by hand into an open slate fermenter of the original Tintara winery. Ably assisted by wild yeast, the ferment is hand plunged three times a day over a period of 9-12 days, after which the wine is pumped out and skins dug out with bucket and shovel.

Basket-pressed to older French oak barriques, the wine is matured for approximately 18 months before bottling. The unique and fascinating production of the wine is reflected in the glass with lean, slate like minerality and a lively and intriguing palate.