The flagship of the Keith Brien range, a precious parcel of old vines Mourverdre vinified alongside a choice harvest of Shiraz, all picked off an exquisite low yielding vineyard. Keith Brien has been consumed by a passion for obscure old sites, ever since a tour of duty amongst the vineyards of
La Bourgogne in the 1970s. He treasures his time spent inspecting the old plantings and ripening of fruit, earmarking the pick of crop for an old fashioned vinification and extended term of age, albeit amazingly accessible to the discerning enthusiast at large.
When Keith Brien began nuturing the Vincenzo Conte vineyard back to health in 2003, the property required an extensive effort, new trellises were built and state of the art viticultural programs were introduced. Though the gnarled and twisted old vines clearly display their struggle for survival in the meagre soils, they have returned to yielding a harvest of the most extraordinary fruit with every vintage. Parcels of Mataro and Shiraz are crushed, pressed off skins and treated to a term of cold soak before a traditional vinification. Upon completion of ferments and extended maceration, batches are filled to a selection of seasoned and new French and American oak hogsheads for malolactic and two years maturation.
TASTING NOTESDeep blackish purple. Dark berry and plum perfumes, anise and cocoa are supported by an earthiness which compliments the brooding fruit. Tightly structured palate, a concentration of mouth filling, spicy fruit flavours, balanced by background oak and fine drying tannins. An excellent length of finish makes Keith Brien the ideal partner to succulent game or braised beef in red wine jus.