The Limestone Coast Shiraz is the first instalment in our Explorers range. The range promises to introduce exciting premium wines from unique terroirs and tell interesting stories at the same time – all at a great value for money.
Just as great explorers of the past pushed boundaries to discover new lands and achieve incredible goals, our Shiraz reveals the remarkable winemaking potential of the Australian Limestone Coast to a wider audience. The wine has an individual taste that is developed from vines grown in harmony with their location.
The mature Shiraz vines that were carefully chosen to vinify this wine are planted in two neighbouring north and south-oriented regions of aforementioned Australia’s Limestone Coast. To the north Padthaway and 40km south Coonawarra. Each region is no more than 1000m wide and 15km long. The red soil of ‘Terra Rossa’ clay overlain limestone bedrock characterises this terroir and develops eucalyptus and spearmint flavours found nowhere else on earth. The original name for the area translates as honeysuckle and represents a classic tribute to location-driven wines worldwide. This terroir is particularly suited to rich reds such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Exactly like our fabulous Shiraz, blended from parcels in Padthaway and Coonawarra resulting in a wine with a wonderful depth of flavour and dark red colour. Plentiful spicy dark fruit aromas are enhanced by eucalyptus and spearmint notes. It has a rich and full palate with soft flavours of plums, mulberry and a hint of vanilla. This is complemented by spicy tannins and a long finish.
This complex and powerful red was inspired by the hardships of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic explorations and his incredible endurance and model leadership in extreme circumstances. Such difficult expeditions call for a robust red like this Shiraz, and Shackleton is reported to have said that the booze on his voyages was for “medicinal and celebratory purposes”. Cheers to that!
The lighthouse featured on the bottle is a symbol of hope and we imagine it looking out on the Limestone Coast on the amazing Southern Ocean and onward to Antarctica where Shackleton led his most legendary explorations.
We aim to follow the example of some of the great Shiraz produced by famous names in Coonawarra, but at an outstanding value, through purchasing substantial volume and bringing these wines to a broader market.
Many people associate bulk volume wine with inferior quality – but that is a massive simplification. Yes, most of the wine bottled in bulk is entry-level, normally young vintage or non-vintage wine bottled as house wine or private label wine. However, the quality of the wine imported is determined by how it was grown and made.
Over the course of 50 years in the wine industry, We have proven time and time again that we can import wonderful, exclusive wines like our Home Farm or Afrikan Ridge ranges. They offer great value – only possible thanks to our close relationship with winegrowers.
Shackleton’s Shiraz is our venture into uncharted territory by importing a premium-level wine in bulk and bottling it in the UK. The advantage of this practice is certainly reflected in the price. But, equally important are the environmental aspects, which are in line with our sustainability efforts. Importing in bulk reduces carbon emissions by more than 20,000 tonnes annually. Furthermore, with the technological improvements in the bulk-to-bottle model, we believe that the quality preservation can be better than that of many wineries’ own bottling lines.
We hope you will enjoy our new Shiraz and further wines we plan to add to the Explorers range. If you would like to list this or any other wine from our selection in your establishment, get in touch!
