Riggs & Wiggs Cote Vineyard Shiraz 2024

Made from dry-grown shiraz planted on a north-facing slope, with the grapes fermented in 130-year-old open vats from the original 1800s Côte d’Or winery. It has excellent energy and vibrancy, aided by the co-fermentation of 5% semillon. As well as fixing colour and providing lift, the semillon moonlights as a whole-bunch imposter, introducing an intriguing lemony herbal thread that adds an unconventional yet thrilling dimension. The old vines, planted in ’71, impart impressive fruit intensity, while the inclusion of whole berries in the hand-plunged ferment enhances the wine with a silky raspberry flow. 96 Points, Halliday Wine Companion

Alfred Wilkinson arrived in Sydney in 1865 with his family to establish vineyards in the foothills of the Brokenback Range. They planted the Cote Vineyard in 1866.Shiraz is the iconic red grape of the Hunter Valley. The Shiraz on the Cote Vineyard is planted on a north-facing slope and dry-grown. Made in original open concrete fermenters, hand plunged and co-fermented with 5% Semillon. Medium colour with young purple tints, red berry fruit, and background cashew oak with only 11% new oak. Producers, Notes