Battle of Bosworth Shiraz

Region McLaren Vale

Vintage 2010 

Winery Battle of Bosworth Wines

Winemaker Joch Bosworth

The wines take their name from the original Battle of Bosworth, fought on Bosworth Field,  Leicestershire, England in 1485. Here the last of the Plantagenet Kings, Richard the III,  was slain by Henry Tudor, becoming the last king of England to die in battle. His death  ended the War of the Roses.
The roots of the Bosworth family’s battle were planted in the early 1840’s with their first vineyard in McLaren Vale. The modern day Battle of Bosworth saw the conversion of ‘Edgehill’ vineyard to organic viticulture by Joch Bosworth in 1995. This McLaren Vale ‘Battle of Bosworth’ is symbolised on the label by the yellow Soursob (Oxalis pes caprae) which is used in the vineyard to combat other weeds.  

Organic Viticulture
Organic farming is based on minimising the use of external inputs, and as such our certified organic grapes are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilisers, or GMOs. Our system of organic viticulture at Battle of Bosworth works with nature rather than against it, and by keeping harmful chemicals out of the land, water and air, creates a healthy environment rich in flora, fauna and nutrients; the perfect environment for
growing the very best quality wine grapes. Battle of Bosworth grows Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Semillon, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Mourvèdre (as well as some Touriga Nacional and Graciano) which are fully certified ‘A’ grade organic by Australian Certified Organic (ACO), a process that takes four years. The vines are all now 20 years and older. 

Vintage 2010
We recorded just about average annual rainfall over the year, which resulted in healthy crops of Shiraz and Cabernet. Unseasonably warm November weather interfered with the chardonnay during flowering and resulted in small crops of this variety. The weather then remained almost perfect for the rest of vintage. The general consensus amongst winemakers in the Vale is that 2010 marks an exceptional year for both red and white wines.

Winemaking This is the 10th vintage of the Battle of Bosworth Shiraz, so we feel we are really in the groove when it comes to making this wine. Traditionally made in open fermenters with daily pump overs, (to make sure we get maximum flavour, colour and tannins out of the grapes) the wine finishes fermentation in barrel. Being ‘estate’ grown – owing in the main to our organic status which precludes us from buying grapes from anyone else in the
district- we process the grapes in small batches. This gives us an array of components to choose from when putting the final blend together; this helps us make a better and more complex wine. One such component is the cordon cut, vine dried Shiraz. We only add a small amount (4-8%) of this component to the BoB Shiraz, but its impact is significant, bringing spice and intrigue to the wine. The Shiraz is matured in a mix of new and older  French and American oak barriques prior to bottling.

Aroma On the nose: earth, herbs, fresh meat, red and black fruit and a hint of star anise.

Palate The palate offers bright black and red fruits, spice and herbal notes and a licorice and star anise finish. The 2010 Shiraz is smooth, even and polished with balance and a very pleasing length. It is a middle weight wine with a very balanced palate. It does not aspire to be a blockbuster, which is just how we wanted it.

Food Match Mix and match with food – game, steak, cheese platter or on its own.

Technical Details
Picking Dates:  19/25th Feb, 3/4/12 and 19th March 2010  
pH Level   3.61
Total Acidity  6.30
Alc/ Vol:   14.5%
Bottling Date:  31st March 2011