The Colonial Estate InExile Barossa Valley Shiraz Cabernet 2013

The fruit for this blend was sourced from two vineyards one old vineyard in the Marananga and the other from the Greenock region just up the road in the Barossa Valley. Both vineyards were severely pruned and as a result of this and minimal water they produced just one and a half one to the acre. The grapes were all hand picked and a small selection from the western edge of the Shiraz block and a small selection from the dead centre of the Cabernet block were isolated by the winemaker and vigneron as they had such outstanding quality. The grapes were transported to the winery in the early hours of the morning to avoid the summer heat where they were again sorted then de-stemmed and crushed before being cofermented in large wooden vats after extreme cold maceration. The wine had their malolactic in new French oak, and is thereafter in the same oak although a small parcel went into two new French barrels for aging. The best barrels were then selected after 24 months in oak to be used in the final blend and bottled with minimal filtration. In the winery the final barrels used were isolated from all other wines and we considered them to be inexile and hence the name was born.

The Colonial Estate Exile Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Sourced from a small block in the Greenock region of the Barossa, we made the decision to not produce a 2011 vintage after the epic 2010 due to tough climatic conditions. The vines that make up Exile were pruned severely and as a result of this and minimal water they produce extremely small yields.. Exile grapes are all hand picked and the grapes are selected in individual batches by winemaker and vigneron. The grapes are harvested then transported to the winery where they are destemmed and crushed individually to small static fermenters. Fermentation was brought on by the use of select yeast strains and the temperatures peaked at 28 degrees before chilling back to 20 degrees for the completion of fermentation. The fermenters were pumped over 3 times daily to ensure the perfect amount of colour and tannin was extracted from the skins. A small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was allowed to stay on skins for a week of additional maceration after the ferments were complete. The batches were then pressed into new French barrels where they under went malolatic fermentation and are then aged for 18 months before final barrel selection, blending and bottled with minimal filtration.

The Colonial Estate Eden Valley Exodus Chardonnay 2015

Hand picked from an old single vineyard located in Eden Valley. The wine was crushed and de-stemmed prior to the pressing process; French oak barriques were used for fermentation. The ferment was slow and cool with several weeks of lees contact post ferment. Incredible small batch winemaking at its best with only 500 dozen being bottled after minimal filtration.

The Colonial Estate Exile Barossa Valley Shiraz 2013

After the stunning 2012 vintage we were blessed with a second consecutive vintage of excellent quality fruit despite difficult conditions, which kept yields well below average. Early frost kept bud numbers low and as a result reduced the volume of fruit produced, the low crop and one of the driest and quickest vintages on record as a result of a late dry winter and spring which lead into the usual warm dry summer ripening period. The bulk of the fruit was sourced from an old vineyard in Marananga, which is dry grown and includes a block of vines over 100 years in age. The vines that make up Exile were pruned severely and received a run of green harvesting finally producing just one and a half tonne to the acre on average. The fruit was basket pressed and fermented in small 1 and 2 tonne fermenters, it was hand plunged three times daily, the wine was matured on lees to maintain the fruit profile and matured in Hogheads barrels for 24 months prior to being bottled with minimal filtration.