Oscar Semmler
2018 Shiraz
2018 Oscar Semmler Shiraz
Oscar Semmler made a lifetime contribution to the success of the Barossa Valley’s wine industry, having held positions of Chairman with both the Barossa Co-Operative Winery and the Australian Wine and Brandy Association during the 1960 and 1970s.
We are proud to dedicate this, our best structured and most flavoursome Shiraz, to Oscar, a man held in high esteem for his enthusiasm, innovation and encouragement that he gave to others.
Shiraz from the St. Jakobi Vineyard 5-acre “1975 Block” matures in barrels for up to 22 months and during this time we regularly taste each barrel and make note of the best structured and most mouth filling parcels. In October 2019 our final selection of barrels was made, representing “the best of the vintage” for “The “Oscar”, our reserve label for Dutschke Wines.
Vintage 2018, the 75 Block Shiraz was harvested on two separate occasions, picking the eastern 18 rows on the 2nd of March, then heading back into the vineyard a few days later on the 6th March to complete the picking of the remaining 14 rows to the east. Interestingly, harvest dates were one month earlier this year than in 2017, mainly due to the drier conditions and lighter crop.
The two individual parcels of Shiraz were fermented separately for 6-7 days in stainless steel open fermenters under our winery verandah roof, before being drained, basket pressed, combining both free run and pressings then transferred to oak hogsheads to complete the secondary fermentation.
After a few weeks in barrel, malo-lactic fermentation was complete and all barrels were lightly racked to tank. The following day the wine was then returned to the same oak hogsheads and left to mature for a further 18 months, before being blended together and prepared for bottling.
We trust you’ll enjoy it!
| Winemaker: | Wayne Dutschke |
| Vineyard: | Ken & Helen Semmler’s St. Jakobi Vineyard on the “1975 Block Shiraz” |
| Region: | Lyndoch, Barossa Valley, South Australia |
| Harvest date: | First pick on the 2nd March (14.8 Be) and the second was on the 6th March 2018 (14.7 Be) |
| Alcohol: | 14.5% |
| Oak maturation: | 19 months in new & 1 year old French Hogsheads |
| Bottling date: | November 2019 |
| Cellaring potential: | Although enjoyable as a younger wine, this is a wine that will integrate and show more complexity with medium to long term cellaring. |