Big, fresh nose with pronounced aromatic intensity. A place where juniper, orange peel, & deep spice dominate. Vibrant in the mouth. Citrus & juniper enjoy prominence. Smooth but crisp on the palate. Long, & flavour filled finish. Scapegrace is distilled at the foot hills of the ice capped Southern Alps of New Zeal&. Subterranean rock filters the water source for over 60 years. The result. An exceptionally smooth & enduring finish. ...

The Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot is both soured from the Chri Ro Estate Vineyard & Western Ridge vineyards owned by Rolf Binder. The vintage produced average yields, & both varieties show strongly. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon & 40% Merlot. The style of wine made is very much a full bodied rich dry red trying to show the strength & power of the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa region, which when full phenologically ripe displays depth along with rich ripe tannins. The fully ripe Merlot adds a softening to the wine which is aged in older oak to show the fruit of the wine. The wine is made to show the flavours that the Barossa can give to these varieties. To grow good Cabernet Sauvignon in the Barossa is somewhat difficult. Whereas with Shiraz & Grenache we look to slightly stress the vines pre-harvest, Cabernet Sauvignon must be nurtured between the point of good vibrant growth & a touch of stress to finish the grapes off. The health of these vines at veraison is important on we look to irrigate at this time. Thereafter irrigation is gently reduced & the vines are comfortable in ripening their fruit. As we grow these grapes ourselves – quality is paramount & yield is a secondary factor. Through sacrificing yield we have a source of very rich concentrated grapes that allow for premium winemaking. The Merlot is grown in a similar way, however due to its earlier ripening the use of irrigation is more critical. The vines are then not stressed as much & the quality is achieved by reduced yield regulated through pruning. ...

This deep cherry red wine fills the glass with aromas reminiscent of sweet red berries. Dark cherries enhanced with liquorice, cassis, hints of vanilla & blueberries on the medium bodied palate. Ripe tannins & complex acidity lend to the overall perception of a smooth, approachable red wine, with a nice persistence of flavour that lingers well on the palate. ...

The philosophy of all Rolf Binder Wines is to let the vineyard tell its own story. The Halliwell (meaning masterful) Shiraz Grenache is no exception. Comprising 100% Barossa fruit, the Halliwell Grenache comes from the Rolf Binder prize Western Ridge vineyard on the edge of the Marananga bowl. The Shiraz is estate grown from the Stephanie vineyard, combined with small batches from neighbouring vineyards. “ What first strikes you with the bouquet of this wine is the abundance of glass filling berry fruit aromas. The subtle use of both old & new oak combined with soft tannins comes through on the palate. Strong full bodied characters last right through to the back of the palate & certainly linger, leaving your mouth wondering what was that truly sublime experience? Before you know it you’re tasting more. This wine will drink well now, showing off its ripe fruit characters. It will cellar for up to 6 years & reward you with a fully integrated wine fruit showing the benefits of age.” Rolf Binder. ...

A deep red- violet, this is a very rich fruit-forward wine, showing some oak & spice. An immediate attack of fruit with depth. It is not over powering, but harmonious, with a rich core of firmness that makes it stand out. A great wine with harmony & depth, & a lovely persistence of fruit. The grapes are fermented in one batch & the fermentation is managed for at least six to eight days on skins. The grapes are then pressed & the free run juice is added back. During the fermentation we will ferment some of the juice in new oak barrels for twenty four hours, & then pump this juice back into the fermentation. The barrel will be washed & then refilled for another fermentation. After the fermentation is complete we let the secondary malo-lactic fermentation occur naturally in the barrel. In the January of the year following crushing we taste all of the barrels, and then blend together like barrels. These blends are put back into oak for another twelve months, & then reassessed for final blending. The wine is handled with minimal interference & bottled after a very gentle filtering. Rolf Binder. ...

The Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz comprises 100% Barossa fruit wholly estate grown. The Heysen is one of the flagship wines of Rolf Binder Wines. It is an export production wine only. Made from dry grown Shiraz & varying amounts of 1-4% Cabernet Sauvignon (depending on the vintage). It is characterised by a velvety texture & softness. The 2007 vintage is blended with the wine from the Hanisch vineyard, giving it another dimension to the flavour profile. Best consumed between 8
- 10 years. The 2007 Heysen Shiraz offers up a captivating nose of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, smoked meat, & blueberry. Opulent on the palate, it has tons of succulent fruit, considerable underlying tannin, & 4-6 years of aging potential. Drink it from 2013 to 2027. Robert Parker Wine Advocate, rating: 94.
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Limited stock. The Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz comprises 100% Barossa fruit wholly estate grown. The Heysen is one of the flagship wines of Rolf Binder Wines. It is an export production wine only. Made from dry grown Shiraz & varying amounts of 1-4% Cabernet Sauvignon (depending on the vintage). It is characterised by a velvety texture & softness. The 2007 vintage is blended with the wine from the Hanisch vineyard, giving it another dimension to the flavour profile. Best consumed between 8
- 10 years. The 2007 Heysen Shiraz offers up a captivating nose of pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, smoked meat, & blueberry. Opulent on the palate, it has tons of succulent fruit, considerable underlying tannin, & 4-6 years of aging potential. Drink it from 2013 to 2027. Robert Parker Wine Advocate, rating: 94.
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The Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz comprises 100% Barossa fruit wholly estate grown. The Heysen is one of the flagship wines of Rolf Binder Wines. Made from dry grown Shiraz & varying amounts of 1-4% Cabernet Sauvignon (depending on the vintage). It is characterised by a velvety texture & softness. ...

The sensation of abundant citrus characters offers a youthful & fresh palate with good depth of fruit & drying acidity. Aroma of freshly squeezed limes, lemongrass, & kaffir lime leaves with hints of citrus blossom. Brilliant yellow straw with lime green hues. The 2008 Riesling, from Eden Valley, a prime spot for Riesling, reveals an enticing bouquet of spring flowers, mineral, lemon-lime, & other citrus aromas. Concentrated & nicely balanced, this lengthy Riesling will evolve for several years & drink well through 2018. 91 Points Robert Parker Jnr, The Wine Advocate Winemakers Comment
- Christa Deans The 2009 Highness Riesling is sourced from a single vineyard high up on the eastern side of the Eden Valley. It is a lighter more delicate style showing crisp fresh citrus characters & a soft floral mouthfeel. The fruit is delivered to the winery immediately after harvesting in the cool hours of the morning, then processed very gently through our tank press. Free run & pressing portions are determined by the winemaker. The free run juice is used to make this wine. The juice is cold settled & 3 days later the clear juice is transferred into fermentation. After fermentation is complete, the wine is prepared for bottling.
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Rolf Binder explains, Our history with this wine goes back some 25 years. My father started the blend & with his Hungarian ancestry called it Bull’s Blood. I have tinkered with the style over the years & am now comfortable with a blend of 70% shiraz & 30% mataro (Mourvèdre). Veritas owns a magnificent old block of mataro just behind the winery which is probably over 100 years old. All the mataro is sourced off this block & this places a cap on what can be made each vintage. It varies with crop levels to between 500-600 cases. The source of the shiraz is our vineyard called the Western Ridge & this provides about 70% of the total. This shiraz is full bodied & is matured in new & old shaven oak. The mataro is the tricky grape. It is easy to swamp the flavours which are surprisingly delicate so old shaven French oak is used. Each year a few barrels of shiraz do not measure up to the standard of our flagship wines, the Hanisch & Heysen, & they are also added to the final blend. The cult of the Bulls Blood comes from Rolf Binder Senior’s Hungarian heritage. Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood from Eger) is the most popular wine in Hungary, & Rolf Senior aimed to reproduce the wine from his homeland on the other side of the world. The traditional grapes used in Hungary are Kadarka & Merlot, but we use local old vine Shiraz & the pressings (skins & seeds) of the century-old Mataro to emulate this wine. Veritas Winery has been producing Bull’s Blood since 1967. The legend of Bulls Blood originates from the unsuccessful attack on Hungarian troops in Eger by the Turks in 1552. The heavily outnumbered Hungarians saw their fate approaching & decided that, rather than fight a losing battle, they would just drink red wine. This proved to be to their advantage as their red-stained beards & crazed eyes terrified the Turks, who thought they had been drinking Bull’s Blood to give them extra strength. The Turks fled, leaving the Hungarians to turn their drunken solace into drunken revelry. Our history with this wine goes back some 25 years. My father started the blend & with his Hungarian ancestry called it Bulls Blood. I have tinkered with the style over the years & am now comfortable with a blend of 70% Shiraz & 30% Mataro (Mourvedre). ...