JM 1ST APPROACH

Each year l declassify and blend a few barrels from current vintage 'The Blonde` and `The Brunette vineyards. resulting in a limited edition wine called `HEAD RED`. This wine allows a sneak preview of my later released single vineyard wines and a chance for me to practise the old adage. `The whole is greater than the sum of`it's parts.

The 'HEAD RED' range always represents my best blended wines from a given vintage. Before vintage I asked myself how to make HEAD RED an even better wine and so set about using techniques from The Contrarian's whole-bunch wine-making style and a smaller amount of newer, larger format oak (10%) for greater texture and freshness in the wine. The prime intention was not to compromise the accessibility or style of the wine. In 2012, six separate vineyard parcels from across the Barossa were selected in the final blend including: Shiraz from Stonewell, Greenock, Moppa, Light Pass and as in 2011, Mt Mackenzie from the Eden Valley. Included in the blend is 8% Grenache from Kalimna, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from Krondorf and 1% Viognier from The Blonde barrels. This resulted in a pleasant reminder of the 2010 'HEAD RED' Shiraz Viognier with more complexity. Bottled unfined and unfiltered under stelvin capsule.

Dark red to black colour. The nose shows raspberry, aniseed, tar, cola, vanilla cream, rosemary, sage and menthol. The palate has layers of liquered red fruits and complex, supple tannins. The sweeter fruits and glycerols seem to completely coat the tannins underneath. Try with Indian dishes or BBQ'd red meats. Easy to drink now or up to 10 years. 13.7% Alcohol.