2008 Shiraz ‘Westgate Vineyard’, The Story

The Story Wines is oddly located in the outer southern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Their they receive grapes from some fabulous and famous Grampians and Henty vineyards and turn them into wine. Each vintage there is a new story to tell, and each year the label changes to reflect that story. Small budgets, small vineyards, engaging subjects are the theme of The Story.
The winemaking is a little different from many, as the winery is located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne, some two to three hours from the vineyards in the Grampians and Henty. This urban context allows The Story team to live close to their customers, the majority of which are restaurants and independent retailers and allows them to draw inspiration from the great cultural diversity of the city. The harvest decisions that the Story have to make are usually amongst the earliest in the region, emphasising acidity and freshness and attempting to maintain moderate alcohol levels and bright aromas. Once they get the grapes to the winery, they are gently destemmed (or not) and moved by gravity to small open fermenters where they ferment with ambient yeasts and as few additions as possible. Many of the wines have no additions other than sulphur dioxide, and for the reds, they are usually bottled without any fining or filtration. Simple, hands-off winemaking.