Nashwauk Beacon Shiraz 2006, McLaren Vale
Medium ruby, showing a garnet rim. Matured.
First, we are not sure if you like this style of mellow, fruit forward, slightly alcoholic, not much finish or peppery kick like you may expect from big Aussie Shirazes. However, this wine shouted its regional origins from the cold, breezy rooftops of the Seaview subregion positioned between the coast and ranged at a higher altitude than other vineyards in the McLaren Vale region, giving on the finish a coating of dark chocolate to an interplay of dry black fruits and cedary oak. You feel the high alcohol contents though.
Second, 2006 Beacon Shiraz is the debut release of this reserve wine from Nashwauk.
Third, Beacon Shiraz is a single vineyard wine, hand-picked from Block 12 planted in 1974, using matured in 1-year-old Burgundy oak for 24 months!
Finally, this is the top cuvee from Nashwauk owned and managed by the famous Kaesler Wines, Barossa Valley.
The Seaview Sub-region in which Nashwauk land situated is also prestigious as it shares the terroir with well-known vineyards for Kays, Chapel Hill and Coriole. Some of McLaren Vale’s oldest established vineyards are also situated here. The top cuvee Nashwauk Beacon Shiraz is made in small quantities (volumes outlined on wine labels) as low as a couple of hundred bottles these years. A pricey wine(HK $700 a bottle from search engines), this 2006 vintage Beacon Shiraz is Nashwauk’s first release.
The Seaview sub-region uniquely positioned between the coast and ranges at a higher altitude than other vineyards in the McLaren Vale region. Hilltops experience cooling sea breezes, and the valleys benefit from the cool air streams returning towards the sea at night. Hence, the style.
The vineyard information says that Stephen Dew and Reid Bosward are the winemakers. According to Straits Wine of Singapore, this is Kaesler’s first wine made outside its Barossa Valley home maintaining its winemakers’ criteria using estate grown fruit of predominantly old vine plantings. Their search to find the right vineyard took some time before a 20 ha property on Neill Road in McLaren Vale, Seaview sub-region was bought in 2005. Seaview soils vary from red earth clay on limestone to sand on limestone and grey loam on clay, all of which can found on the Nashwauk property. The vineyards are between 12 and 40 years old with a mix of Shiraz, Tempranillo and Cabernet. It’s contour-planted. There are seven different soil types which can change every couple of metres making it a challenge.
