It was a true ‘epiphany’ when Elena’s relationship with Tony Parkinson of Penny’s Hill resulted in getting a few tons of prime A-grade Shiraz to make under the Sister’s Run label. As long-time friends it was a dream to have the high-toned, perfumed aromatics of this sandy site fold into the mix nicely. The vineyard sits on the foothills east of McLaren Vale. The original narrow-planted Penny’s Hill Vineyard produces lower yields of high quality Shiraz to make wines with texture, complexity and interest. It’s slightly cooler there than the valley floor, so the site experiences even ripening temperatures and by precise canopy management, produces fruit of a quality which ranks it among the district’s best.

The fruit was hand-harvested in mid-March and fermented with a combination of some tanks open top with ambient yeast and others in closed tanks with a cultured ‘native’ strain. Pumpovers were used to gently extract tannin and color, preserving much of the perfume tones. Post fermentation, the wine was racked to barrel and aged for 12 months without adulteration. The barrels were blended back to tank and bottled with a light fining and a small sulfur addition, but without filtration.