…elegant complexity

I have had the pleasure to visit Chapel Hill Winery on a couple of occasions, along with staying at their stunning retreat. What now serves as the cellar-door tasting room and which is also part of the winery. It was built on the site of the historic Seaview Chapel, which was originally constructed in 1865. With the current vineyards being planted in 1972 and the first vintage release was in 1975.
This 2019 vintage was under the guidance of the dynamic duo of Michael & Bryn Richards. The ‘Vicar’ is the pinnacle of Chapel Hill's wine expressions, where only the best parcels of fruit come together to form this full bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz with distinction. The grape parcels are meticulously chosen and harvested from selected single-vineyard sites *(including on this occasion; the Lacey Branson Road & Lacey Watilla vineyards) and fermented separately in open fermenters.
Several times a day the grape cap was gently plunged to extract varietal characters, with the separate parcels left on their skins for a minimum of 12 days. The ‘Vicar' Shiraz is a basket-pressed, with the free run juice and pressing fractions being combined. During the following 20 months of oak maturation - each individual barrel was racked and returned periodically to seamlessly integrate the tannins. To preserve typicity and the wines rich, complex character, the wine was un-fined and also bottled unfiltered.

★ As you pour a black plum colour fills your glass with a purple hue. On the Inviting nose you have aromas of wild black berries, dried herbs, liquorice, charred peppers a note of cacao. These engaging characters carry confidents onto the generous palate interwoven with fine grained tannins, and nicely balanced oak structure and a sumptuous texture. The wine has a beguiling confidence and a wealth of personality and varietal integrity, celebrating those wild berries, dexterous winemaking nuances and raw cacao adding an allure to the engaging palate. The wines natural fruit acidity giving focus and an elegance to the majestic dismount.

This 2019 Chapel Hill ‘The Vicar’ McLaren Vale Shiraz has 14.5% Alc./vol. • Crafted in a classic dry style. • A would suggest wide-base decanting for 30 - 45 minutes, and serve in a generously shaped red wine glass at 16°- 18°C. • *NZ$80

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Review 23/5/25)
With mild decanting drinking this season, plus it will age gracefully for another 8 - 10 years.

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with slowly cooked and well-seasoned prime cuts of red meat w/ a rich wine jus reduction, along with wild game dishes, earthy vegetarian cuisine and aged, hard cheeses - enjoy.