Three generations of the Miranda family…
Based at the Southern end of the Barossa Valley, South Australia, winemaking at Lou Miranda Estate has been passed down through three generations of the Miranda family. The family-owned boutique winery, named after the father Lou Miranda, is run by his daughters Lisa, Angela, and Victoria. They manage the Barossa vineyards, winery and cellar door with charming devotion to good old-fashioned Italian hospitality.
All of their wines are produced from Estate owned vineyards. The 100 acres are on four sites and are located at a maximum of 8 kilometres from the winery. They are custodians of four centenarian old vine blocks in Southern Barossa Valley, the oldest dating back to 1897.
Barossa Centenarian Vine…
The Barossa contains some of the oldest vineyards in the world – with one example dating back to 1843 – but until now, there was no formal schedule of classification or registration. In 2009, the Barossa Old Vine Charter was instituted to register vineyards by age, so that older vines could be preserved, retained and promoted. The Charter groups vineyards into four categories by age: (in ascendant order) Old; Survivors; Centenarians and Ancestors.
The Barossa, unlike many other of the world’s great wine regions, is phylloxera-free, which allows these vines to mature into their thick, gnarly trunks and naturally sculptured forms without interference. Noted for their low yields and intensity of flavour. Planted generations ago – when dry-farming techniques demanded careful site selection – Centenarian Vines have truly withstood the test of time.
What makes a Centenarian vine?…
Centenarian vines, as the name suggests, are vines that have surpassed the remarkable age of 100 years. These vines are prized for their exceptional quality and unique characteristics that contribute to producing premium wines. Old vines seem to give more concentration, complexity, and particularly, more depth of mid-palate fruit compared to young vines. They typically show vibrant aromas and bright fruitiness, but sometimes rather hollow flavours.
Old vines in the new world…
Despite its classification as a New World wine producer (wine-growing regions outside of Europe), Australia surprises connoisseurs with the presence of vineyards boasting vines that have stood the test of time, some reaching over a century in age.
It outlines the spirit of Australian winemaking to honour tradition while embracing innovation. These aged vines not only produce grapes of remarkable depth and complexity but also serve as a direct link to Australia’s rich winemaking history.
Lou Miranda Centenarian Old Vine Shiraz – 2018
Centenarian Old Vine Shiraz is sourced from their Church Block planted in 1907 by Johann Gottlieb Koch and in 2018 was 111 years old. The Barossa Valley Old Vine Charter classifies this vine age as CENTENARIAN. Only 2,400 bottles have been handcrafted for this vintage, using dry grown grapes that were hand tended on the estate’s own roots!
The wine is a deep dark inky burnished red with a bouquet of interwoven aromas displaying varietal fruit of plum, liquorice, sage, and blackberry. Secondary aromas of oak, spice and cedar are evident and developing tertiary characters of black olive. Complex and intriguing. Powerful flavours on the palate with the expected plush velvety tannins of Old Vine Barossa Shiraz. Layers of fine-grained tannins give way to an impressive long finish.
If you are interested in any of the aforementioned wines or would like to discuss your wine requirements with our wonderful team, simply email [email protected] or give us a call on 01524 737 100.
