‘Kalimna Sands’ is a masterpiece from one of the world’s oldest vineyard plantings. This is a new addition to the Agricola portfolio this year, and it comes from the Asbroek family’s ‘Ancient’ Shiraz vineyard planted in 1864. The Asbroek family has been farming this block for three generations. There is a certain paradox at play here, as one of Australia’s youngest winemakers crafts something entirely new from some of the Barossa’s oldest raw materials. Callum was born and raised in the Barossa, and his goal has always been to tell the story of his provenance through wine. He does so not with broad brush strokes, but with a deft hand, letting the variety remain constant as the place becomes the critical variable. ‘Kalimna Sands’ is a deep, warm, powerful Barossa Shiraz with layers upon layers of flavor.
The Shiraz grapes were hand harvested and placed as intact clusters in a closed stainless steel tank. The juice fermented over the course of three to four weeks, after which the wine was racked to a used, 600L demi-muid barrel, where it remained for twelve months. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, and it received just a small dosage of sulfur.