Castagna 'Genesis' Syrah 2013
Regular price $120.00
Unit price per
- TASTING NOTE: "Julian Castagna's eponymous estate sits at 500m above sea level near Beechworth, in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. He is devoted to operating in accordance to biodynamics, although he’s not convinced by the spiritual side of the movement, merely seeing it as a farming practice which enables him to extract the very best from his land: ‘Our intention is to make a wine which is an expression of the place where it is grown, and this is the best way to achieve optimum fruit quality that best expresses its terroir,’ he says, as evidenced by the Genesis, whose fruit is lovingly cared for and aged in fine-grained French oak. There's lots of energy and verve to the medium-bodied, charmingly textured raspberry red fruit, which is tinged with spice. It displays nicely evolving tannins and juicy acidity, and comes as something of a surprise in this line-up of big-hitters and traditionalists. But it's a spot-on, classy surprise." 96 Points - Anthony Rose, Decanter
- ABOUT THE WINE: The Castagna Vineyard is situated at an altitude of 500 metres five-and-a-half kilometres outside the beautiful town of Beechworth in Northeast Victoria, high in the foothills of the Australian Alps. The winemaking is very traditional using only our own vineyard's indigenous yeast with minimal interference. Elevage varies between 18-20 months using only the very best, tight grain French oak available, about half of which is new each year.
- ABOUT THE PRODUCER: What is it that makes a person who is happily travelling along a chosen life-pathway turn 90-degrees and head off into the unknown; a decision which would change their lives forever? Julian and Carolann Castagna were running one of Sydney’s most successful film production houses. Julian had worked in the film industry as a Film Director all his working life but had become besotted by fine wine while working in London. Carolann was a Writer. They decided to plant a vineyard in a place in Australia not yet universally recognised as a major viticultural area but one that Julian believed would be perfect for Syrah, and would produce fruit that had the floral fragrance, aniseed and supple, complex subtleties of good Côte-Rôtie. Not a style that was in much evidence in Australia at that time. Julian also believed that Italian varieties had great potential in the same place, so Sangiovese was also a possibility. They sold the house and the apartment in the city and moved in to a caravan on the land: romantic for about five nights till the ants came to visit and the snakes came for a look-see. They built the winery and house out of straw-bale, learning everything on the job as they went along. The vineyard was planted in 1997 on what was previously grazing land. Five different clones of Syrah are grown, all of which are progeny of the original 1850s stock imported into Australia from the Rhone. The land has been farmed biodynamic from the very beginning and it is this farming method that allows the minerality that is in this ancient granitic soil to show through in the wine. Australia is indeed fortunate to have available such wonderful rare material. Castagna
- COUNTRY: Australia
- REGION: Beechworth, Victoria
- VARIETAL: Shiraz, with a touch of Viognier
- WINE STYLE: Red Wine
- WINEMAKER: Julian Castagna
- CLASSIFICATION: Minimal Intervention, Unfined & Unfiltered, Minimal Sulphites, Biodynamic Farming, Vegan
- CLOSURE: Cork
- ABV%: 14%
- SIZE: 750ml
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