New Australian shiraz makes its debut at $500 a bottle

Siblings Nick, Angela and Eliza Brown of All Saints wine fame will this month release a special wine from their historic Mount Ophir Estate.

The 2019 Mount Ophir Shiraz will be released on Thursday, September 16, with a $500 price tag. 

An historic Rutherglen landmark, Mount Ophir Estate was established in 1891. The estate boasts 360-degree views of the surrounding area, including the Murray River Basin and the Snowy Mountains to the east, and offers a winery experience rich in history much like the grounds it sits on.

Owners of Mount Ophir Estate from 1903, the Burgoyne family, were prominent London wine merchants, who developed the property further by constructing a French provincial tower that was a nod to their heritage, along with a winemaking facility.

At this time, the building was the largest state-of-the-art wine producing complex in the southern hemisphere, and the Burgoyne family envisioned it to become the wine centre of Australia.

Mount Ophir Estate was purchased by siblings Eliza, Angela and Nick Brown in 2016, who set to work restoring the 140-acre estate to its former glory.

The Brown siblings have since transformed the estate to offer premium wines, accommodation, and winery experiences.

They also operate All Saints Estate and Terrace Restaurant, St Leonards Vineyard and Thousand Pound Wine Bar, all Rutherglen region icons.

  
The new shiraz will be available for purchase through registration only at mountophirestate.com.au/shiraz-waitlist.

Winemaker Nick Brown describes the wine as "elegant in style, with a medium-bodied, concentrated palate". It apparently offers red and blackberry characters, and soft but long tannins, with a cellaring recommendation for up to 15 years.

The fruit comes from low-yielding fruit hand picked from a single vineyard spanning just 0.5 hectares and made using traditional techniques.

Following a 12-day fermentation period, the wine was basket pressed, before spending 19 months in three 225-litre French oak barrels.

“We are so proud of the wine we have produced," Nick Brown says. 

"The 2019 Mount Ophir Estate Shiraz demonstrates our commitment to producing high-quality wines and brings together Rutherglen’s regional characteristics in a considered approach towards winemaking.”