Paul and Kathy Drogemuller of Paracombe Wines are proud to release their 2009 vintage Somerville Shiraz, a super premium, very limited release wine from the Drogemuller’s Shiraz vineyard at Paracombe. This wine was named after James ‘Jas’ Somerville who was one of the early pioneers to settle in Paracombe in the late 1800’s. A man of vision and fortitude, he was the first to plant vines in the district in 1903. As time passed, several vineyards were established and were subsequently cleared to make way for different ventures. However one small parcel of 500 Shiraz from the original Somerville vineyard still remained. Recognising their significance, Paul and Kathy successfully transplanted these old vines to their own vineyard in 1997. A special late harvest style, the grapes for this wine are left to ripen fully to obtain rich flavour intensity. The fruit is carefully hand picked. Slow, cool ferments for up to four weeks, combined with gentle hand plunging in small open tanks brings gentle extraction of flavours and colours. Even in the early stages of ferment, the aromas were rich and intense signifying another special vintage of Somerville. The wine gracefully matured in new French Oak barriques of which only the very best quality were selected to produce this limited release under the Somerville label, in recognition to Jas Somerville. The result is a classic wine of great style and complexity. Enjoy the tantalizing aromas packed with delicious fruit, rich coffee and dark chocolate, while the palate delivers strong depth of fruit intensity, with hints of spice and superb balance. The uniqueness of this wine is the layers of flavour that remain to be savoured.