…generous personality

If you ever find yourself in South-Australia, I encourage you to make the short trip north to the Barossa Valley and Kaesler. Reid and his team are working with some of the oldest vines in the world. Plus they have an incredibly diverse selection of oak barrels to frame and compliment their generous ‘old-vine’ expressions. The vine age from which this wine was sourced, came from 88 year old Grenache and Mourvèdre vines and 126 year old Shiraz.
The name Avignon is a cheeky (yet respectful) nod to the great French wines of the Southern Rhône Valley, crafted from Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. These are the backbone of famous blends such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, just up the river from the city of Avignon. Due to the age and fragility of these gnarly bush vines, the fruit was carefully hand-picked. On arrival into the winery, the different fruit parcels spent nearly 2 weeks on skins (20% whole bunches), with the cap being pumped over twice a day. After vinification, the wine was pressed off and allowed to settle for 2 days before being transferred into varied ages of French oak barrels. The oak barrels used for this ‘Avignon’ blend were 3-4 years of age, and had 15 months of barrel maturation.

★ On the hypnotic nose you have elevated aromas of dark berries, infused spices, liquorice and dried herbs. The palate is generous and engaging, with a smooth texture, balanced tannins and a stealth oak structure resulting in a stylish mouth feel. The ripe dark berries express an appealing personality, complimented by a good dash of allspice, dark cacao and charred red peppers giving this big-hearted, early drinking Barossa red blend a lavish lingering finish.

This 2017 Kaesler ‘Avignon’ Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre has 15% Alc./vol. Classic dry style. Decant for 25-30 minutes and serve in an appropriate shaped wine glass at 16°- 18°C. *NZ$38.99

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Review 15/10/22)
Mild decanting, drinking perfectly well this season; plus, will age nicely for another 5 - 6 years.

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with bbq’d and slow cooked medium marble meats, nicely seasoned pizzas and pasta dishes, kebabs and earthy vegetarian dishes - enjoy.