Langmeil Stelle Nere Sparkling Shiraz Cuvée NV

Langmeil Winery has a rich history dating back to 1842, when Christian Auricht established one of the Barossa's first trading villages on the banks of the North Para River and named it Langmeil. Auricht had migrated from Prussia in 1838 seeking religious freedom for his family in the new world. He established a smithy and began tending a mixed farm and in 1843 he planted one acre of Shiraz vines on the estate, which is still producing fruit today. The vineyard is believed to be the oldest surviving Shiraz vineyard in the world and is now the source of Langmeil's icon wine, The Freedom 1843 Shiraz. The winery changed hands several times over the years and in 1996, three local mates collaborated to purchase and restore the property. They revived the old vineyard and named it The Freedom and Langmeil's first harvest from the vineyard was in 1997.

Today, Langmeil is family-owned and internationally recognized as one of the Barossa's premium wine producers. The winery attracts visitors from all over the world to its cellar door and the restored village grounds. Langmeil's commitment to making wines that express and embrace the unique characteristics of the Barossa high country is evident in its custodianship of the historic Eden Valley vineyard, which is home to the Pure Eden Shiraz vineyard and the single vineyard old vine Wattle Brae Riesling and High Road Chardonnay. The Freedom 1843 Shiraz has been lauded by wine critics and was re-classified in the prestigious Langton's Classification VII honour roll in the 'Outstanding' category, which describes "The best of Australian winemaking practices, vineyard provenance and regional voice." The Freedom Cellar, which was originally the Cobbler's shop in the historic trading village, has been restored and is now the ultimate location to sample Langmeil's Old Vine Garden wines as part of an intimately hosted winery and historic vineyard experience.

Sparkling Shiraz is a wine style that is uniquely Australian, and Langmeil Winery has made a significant contribution to its production. The wine is a deep crimson in colour with a red rim and aromas of chocolate and rich ripe plums with hints of roasty, savoury notes and earthy nuances. On the palate, the chocolate and ripe fruit flavours blend together with a creamy, fine bead, and savoury characters add complexity with balanced tannins and a sweet round finish.

The Langmeil Sparkling Shiraz is a Non Vintage, bottle-fermented Shiraz, left on its lees for 24 months and liquored with their own vintage fortified Shiraz. The wine has a medium depth, crimson colour with a red rim and aromas of rich, ripe plum and mulberry jam with a dollop of cream on a fresh scone. The juicy fruits and creamy vanilla mingle on the palate with an amazingly fine bead, and saucy and savoury secondary characters from the older base wines add to the complexity with suede-like tannins and balanced sweetness rounding off the finish.

The Finer Details
Style - Sparkling Red
Varietal - Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Barossa Valley, South Australia
Vintage - Non-Vintage
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%