Winemaker's Comments

In a perfect world, everything fits into its place. But sometimes, just sometimes, you find that the square peg/round hole syndrome is alive and well. This label was first created from what we now describe as a "beautiful accident" in 2011, when a few barrels that were designated to be the famous Kiss Shiraz didn’t quite make the cut, and a few barrels of Sweetwater vineyard Shiraz likewise just didn’t quite match Sweetwater's style. With tongue in cheek, we affectionately referred to these ‘left-over’ barrels as the “Lips and Arseholes” and blended them together to create quite an exceptional Hunter Valley Shiraz.

The wine was extremely well received, so we decided to continue the label in subsequent vintages by making an actual barrel selection for the blend. The vineyard composition of the blend will change each vintage depending on how each block meshes together on our tasting bench. Stylistically the premium French oak can definitely be a feature of this label, particularly as a youngster, but will 'fold in' with the fruit given some time in the cellar

The 2021 blend is a selection of newer barrels from the Kiss (50%) and Sweetwater (50%) parcels and is already a multiple-award winner. Two trophies and ten Gold medals to date.....

Trophy (Best Red Wine of the Show) - 2022 NSW Small Winemakers Show
Trophy (Best One-Year-Old Shiraz) - 2022 NSW Small Winemakers Show
Gold - 2023 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show
Gold - 2023 NSW Wine Awards
Gold - 2023 Hunter Valley Wine Show
Gold - 2023 Winewise SVA
Gold - 2023 NSW Small Winemakers Show
Gold - 2023 Winewise Championship
Gold - 2022 NSW Wine Awards
Gold - 2022 Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show
Gold - 2022 Hunter Valley Wine Show
Gold - 2022 NSW Small Winemakers Show

"A blend of Kiss and Sweetwater Shiraz taken from selected barrels of each wine, and matured in French hogsheads (35% new). Excellent colour, with a savoury/spicy edge to the fruit. Its palate drives the core of the wine, with purple and black fruits before a return of some savoury notes to the finish. Decades of life for a very high-quality wine. Aspires to and achieves elegance."
96 Points - James Halliday winecompanion.com

"Deep ruby with a bright purple tint. Mulberry, pepper, and lavender aromas. Medium to full in weight but there's a lightness of fruit that makes it very appealing. Blue and red berries mix with exotic spices and a hint of darker minerality and wakame notes. A lot going on yet already flows with a seamless nature. Tannins are up to the task and will ensure many good cellaring years are ahead. Drink 2023–2038"
95 points - Stuart Knox therealreview.com

"A very complex shiraz with sweet green tobacco, green olives and plums on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit, fine tannins and bright acidity. Vivid and focused. Very Cote-Rotie inspired here. Fine and vivid. Drink or hold."
94 points - James Suckling jamessuckling.com

Tasting Notes

Vivid deep purple colour. Elenay’s classic flamboyant nose jumps from the glass showing ripe red and black fruit with warm crushed herbs, clove, ruby chocolate and five spice.

The palate is rich and harmonious with cascades of blackberry, boysenberry, dark cherry and black plum fruit. There’s notes of violet, pink peppercorn and oolong tea with hints of vanilla pod, espresso and licorice from time in deluxe French oak. Long, complex and with fine supple tannin this is sure to reward patience of cellaring yet is so ready to drink right away.

Definitely slightly overt in the (premium French) oak department as a youngster, but of course this is the style of Elenay. We have seen how the punchy oak 'folds' into the fruit with time in the cellar, and this vintage will be no exception. Pure awesomeness….
Drink 2023 to 2035+

Bottled - 22nd June 2022
Released 13th May 2023
Production - 370 Dozen 
Alcohol - 14.0%