Gravel Pit Shiraz 2023

Tasting Notes 🍷

🔹 Appearance – Deep, dark ruby with great clarity and depth.

🔹 Aroma – Black pepper, blueberry, and vanilla greet the nose, with ripe blackberry, star anise, and a touch of toasty oak underneath.

🔹 Palate – A rich and full-bodied experience with black plum, blackberry, and dark fruit at the forefront, complemented by dark olive, fine tannins, and warming spice.

🔹 Finish – The wine finishes long and smooth with a harmonious balance of oak and tannin structure.

Winemaking ℹ️

🔹 Unique Terroir – Grapes from the Gravel Pit vineyard, influenced by the cool, maritime climate of the Ferguson Valley, provide the perfect environment for growing premium Shiraz.

🔹 Handcrafted – Carefully crafted to preserve the complexity and fruit expression, with minimal intervention during winemaking to highlight the natural qualities of the Shiraz.

🔹 Vegan Friendly – No animal products used during production, making it suitable for those following a vegan lifestyle.

Serving Temperature ℹ️

🔹 Ideal – 18°C

🔹 Why – A slightly cooler temperature helps highlight the wine’s fruit-forward profile, while maintaining the balance of spice and oak.

🔹 How – If being stored at room temperature, place the wine in the fridge for about 45-60 minutes before drinking.

🔹 Result – At this temperature, the wine’s full body and rich texture will shine, offering a refined and enjoyable drinking experience.

Perfect Pairings ℹ️

🔹 Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks – The rich, meaty flavours of lamb shanks will pair beautifully with the deep fruit and spice of the Shiraz.

🔹 Grilled Ribeye Steak – A classic Shiraz pairing, where the wine’s tannins and spice complement the steak’s rich, smoky flavour.

🔹 Mushroom Risotto – Earthy, rich, and creamy, mushroom risotto is a perfect match to highlight the wine’s depth and dark fruit profile.

🔹 Smoked Meats & Aged Cheeses – Ideal with smoky barbecued meats or aged hard cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyère, to bring out the wine’s complex flavours.

FAQ: Wine Terms ❓

🔹 Tannins – Natural compounds in grapes and oak barrels that add structure to wine, often providing a dry, puckering sensation. In this Shiraz, the tannins are fine and smooth, giving it a silky texture.

🔹 Oak Influence – Oak aging can add complexity to a wine, contributing flavours like vanilla, spice, and toast. This Shiraz shows subtle toasty oak, enhancing the fruit character without overpowering it.

🔹 Vegan Friendly – This wine is produced without animal-derived fining agents, making it suitable for vegan diets.

A Shiraz That’s Rich in Depth and Elegance 

The Willow Bridge Estate Gravel Pit Shiraz 2023 offers an exquisite balance of opulence and elegance, with vibrant fruit, spicy complexity, and a long, silky finish. Ideal for hearty meals or special occasions, this wine is sure to impress any Shiraz lover.

Learn About Willow Bridge Estate

Willow Bridge Estate is two hours south of Perth in the Geographe wine region. Located in the Ferguson Valley a pristine piece of land that rises from the coast to form rolling hills, unique to this corner of the world.

Who Owns Willow Bridge Estate? Willow Bridge Estate is family owned and operated by principals Jeff and Vicki Dewar, who bought the picturesque 180-hectare hillside property in 1996.

The vineyard is set high on the western side of the Darling Ranges, with the vines enjoying beautiful views over the coastal plain, and across the tranquil waters of Geographe Bay to Cape Naturaliste.

The Willow Bridge Estate vineyard is situated 25km from the coast in a direct line, benefiting from the refreshing afternoon sea breeze that graces the land during summer. Positioned at an elevation ranging from 230 to 280 meters, the estate enjoys temperatures typically two degrees cooler than those on the coastal plain, akin to the cooler southern reaches of the neighbouring Margaret River wine region.

The Ferguson Valley wine region has an annual rainfall of approximately 914mm, the majority of which—around 80%—occurs over four months during the winter dormancy period of the vines. Summers are characterised by dry, sun-drenched days, fostering a consistency between vintages that is perhaps unmatched in the world of wine.

The estate’s soils, known as “Marri soils” after the majestic Marri eucalyptus trees they often support, have evolved over an impressive two and a half billion years from granite. These soils consist of a well-draining layer of lateritic red gravel and loam overlaying yellow or white clay—a composition highly prized by vignerons in Western Australia.

Established in 1997, the 60 hectares of Willow Bridge Estate vineyards were strategically planted around two hills, offering a full 360° exposure to the sun. Being in a phylloxera-free region, all vines were planted on their own roots, while planting along the ridge line has minimised the risk from spring frosts.

The Wines are produced until the careful guidance of Senior Winemaker – Kim Horton & Assistant Winemaker – Dougal Herd. Both received the 2021 Geographe Wine Show Trophy Excellence in Winemaking.

Read reviews on the Willow Bridge Wine Range Here
Learn more about the Ferguson Wine Region HERE