Massena Barossa Valley
Massena was established at the turn of the century by Jaysen Collins and Dan Standish. Growing up amongst the old vines of the Barossa inspired a collaboration in making wines of character, balance and a reflection of the sense of enjoyment in the whole winemaking process. The search for amazing vineyards continued year after year which culminated in welcoming Stonegarden custodian Glen Monaghan into the Massena collective. Massena wines are made with a view that each wine has a context. With food, with friends, for no reason whatsoever, they are there to be enjoyed.
WINEMAKING
Massena is all about making wine from great vineyards and the way they go about it reflects this simplicity, with minimal intervention in the winery.
Hand harvesting allows some whole bunch inclusion and the vineyard’s indigenous yeast is used in all ferments.
White wines are whole bunch pressed and fermentation is carried out in either temperature controlled stainless steel tanks or seasoned french barriques. Long ferments on lees give extra complexity, mouthfeel and texture.
The red wines are made quite traditionally, with open top fermentation, gentle extraction and basket pressing followed by ageing on lees in new and seasoned French oak barrels. Extended time on skins post ferment is used to build tannin structure and a savoury profile.
Massena wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and have minimal sulphur added.
2017 THE ELEVENTH HOUR SHIRAZ
Grape Variety: 100% Shiraz
Originally this wine came from the sixty-year-old Shiraz vines from Greenock that were about to be uprooted. They were saved in the eleventh hour and we used the fruit to make this extraordinary wine.
Sub Regions: Greenock Western Ridge, Stonewell, Vine Vale
Winemaking: Shiraz for The Eleventh Hour is sourced from vineyards located in the Greenock, Stonewell and Vine Vale sub regions of the Barossa. The red clay belt of the Western Ridge running down to Greenock creates an ideal environment to grow shiraz, fruit from this region is juicy, spicy and concentrated. Stonewell’s hard red-brown soils adds another layer of complexity to the fruit, while the open soils of Vine Vale give aromatic intensity. Destemming without crushing, we ferment each parcel in separate batches in open fermenters before basket pressing. Aged in seasoned oak, the wine was moved to tank in individual components for several months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.
Tasting Notes
The 2017 shows aromas of black pepper, aniseed and lifted raspberry, roasted coffee and Indian spices. The opulent palate is full of black cherry, raspberry and dark chocolate with typical Barossa black fruits and a rich, supple mouthfeel. Fresh acidity ensures the wine looks bright and fresh if drinking now, without sacrificing the structural components required to reward drinkers for many years to come.
Cellaring: Up to ten years.
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