Wines

Sheep’s Back

Barossa Valley

Sheeps Back

Winemaker: Dean Hewitson

Neil Empson’s drive to make great wine in the Southern Hemisphere led him to discover a small plot of Barossa Valley 80-year old Shiraz vines, dry-grown and low-yielding. The exceptional quality of the fruit was enough to convince him that he had found something very special. In making the wine, the guiding philosophy is geared towards preserving the integrity of this fruit while at the same time translating something of the unique terroir of this small vineyard. Moreover, the idea is not to make a wine that is overwhelmed by alcohol or oak, but rather the production techniques are designed to enhance the varietal aspects of this essency old-vine Shiraz.
The resulting wine reveals intense aromas of red and black fruits coupled with some cedar and hints of spice. The palate is rich, concentrated and balanced by ripe tannins and excellent structure. The name Sheep’s Back alludes to the old Australian saying, ‘Australia rides on the sheep’s back for its prosperity’. The connection to the wine industry and Barossa is that, these days, wine, at least in this part of the world, has become the metaphorical sheep.

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Wines
2002 Sheep’s Back Shiraz x 6