Gaelic Cemetery Wines

This is a joint venture between winemaker Neil Pike, viticulturist Andrew Pike and Adelaide retailers Mario and Ben Barletta. It hinges on a single vineyard owned by Grant Arnold, planted in 1996, adjacent to the historic cemetery of the regions Scottish pioneers. Situated in a secluded valley of the Clare hills, the low-cropping vineyard, say the partners, is always one of the earliest ripening shiraz vineyards in the region and mystifyingly produces fruit with both natural pH and acid analyses that can only be described as beautiful numbers. The result is hands-off winemaking and maturation for 24 months in new and used Burgundian barriques. JAMES HALLIDAY