The Domaine Chandon Barrel Selection Shiraz is intense, luscious and rich. Enticing aromas of fresh blackberries, blood plums and white pepper are echoed in the elegant and silky palate. Concentrated flavours of cracked black pepper, star anise and coffee bean are complemented by toasty spicy oak influence. Structured and long, the mouth-feel is further enhanced by soft and velvety tannins to provide a signature cool climate shiraz.

Grapes for the Barrel Selection Shiraz were sourced from the best vineyards in the Yarra Valley, primarily from vineyards planted in the alluvial soils of the valley floor, including our Green Point Vineyard. Cooler, elevated vineyards planted in volcanic soils at Yarra Junction and Seville in the Upper Yarra provide balance of fruit.

The fruit was picked from the first week of March until the third week of March at 13.5°-14.5° baumé. Individual parcels were destemmed and whole berries crushed to open top fermenters for cold soaking prior to fermentation. During fermentation, varying extraction techniques were used including regular pumpovers and cap plunging to extract fine grained tannins. In one batch, shiraz was co-fermented with a small percentage of viognier to stabilise colour and enhance the floral and spice aromas. At the conclusion of fermentation individual batches were pressed to stainless steel tanks for settling before being transferred to a combination of new and used French barriques for malolactic fermentation. After twelve months each barrel of shiraz was assessed with only the best being selected. The wine spent a further nine months in barrel before being blended and bottled in 2008.