395B Belmore Rd, Balwyn VIC 3103
+61 3 9071 1834

PALMARIUM SHIRAZ

Unrestricted | Exemplar

Palmarium wines produces limited quantities of Super Premium Australian Shiraz.
Our multi award winning Exemplar Shiraz out performs some of the most iconic and expensive wines available.

For a limited time we are releasing the 2010 vintages to the public for your wine lovers with a distinguished palete or an avid collector of fine wine.

Exemplar McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010 Vintage Single Bottle

Exemplar
Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2010

“Deep, dense purple-crimson.

The blackberry, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate quadrella is as deep and intense as you might imagine. The palate is either velvety or thick in texture, depending on one’s viewpoint.

The product of a great vintage that will live for decades.

Screwcap. 14% alc. Rating 95 To 2035 $ 140”

95 Halliday Points
Exemplar Heathcote Shiraz

Exemplar
Heathcote Shiraz 2010

“Full, deep purple-crimson.

Combines power and intensity with elegance and balance.

The fragrant bouquet is the opening chorus for the symphony of spice, licorice, black cherry and blackberry of the palate.

Quality oak and ripe but firm tannins deliver the final act.

Screwcap. 14% alc. Rating 96 To 2035 $ 140”

96 Halliday Points

ACCOLADES

Our Exemplar Shiraz continues to impress not only
our customers and us, but the judges too…

Australian Shiraz Wine - Exemplar 2010
Silver International Wine & Spirit Competition Quality Awards 2014

Silver medal 2014 IWSC Awards 90 Countries, 300 Judges

China Award Gold

Gold medal 2012 China Wine Awards 30 Countries, 100 Judges

Australian Silver Wine Showcase - Exemplar Shiraz 2010

Silver medal 2014 Australian Wine Showcase Silver medal 2014 World’s Greatest Shiraz Challenge over 500 entries

Exemplar McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010 Vintage Single Bottle
IWSC Gold

Gold medal 2014 IWSC Awards 90 Countries, 300 Judges

China Award Gold

Gold medal 2012 China Wine Awards 30 Countries, 100 Judges

Australian Gold Wine Showcase - Exemplar Shiraz 2010

Gold medal 2014 Australian Wine Showcase

Silver medal 2014 World’s Greatest Shiraz Challenge over 500 entries

Bronze medal 2013 Visy Great Shiraz Challenge over 350 entries

WINE

There are no commercial restraints placed on our winemakers.
The winemakers brief is simple, purchase the best fruit and use the new oak of
your choice.

Walter Claoois - McLaren Vale Winemaker

Mclaren Vale

Wine Maker: Walter Clappis

Walter has been making wine for over 30 years and is widely considered one of Australia’s most outstanding winemakers. He is the only winemaker to have won the coveted Dan Murphy Trophy three times.

During the 20 years that Walter owned Ingoldby Winery, he amassed a total of 37 trophies and 130 gold medals. Another of Walter’s accolades was to be crowned King of the McLaren Vale Wine Bushing Festival for producing the most outstanding wine in McLaren Vale

In 2011 Walter was the recipient of the George Mackey Memorial Trophy for producing the best wine exported from Australia. The 2009 Hedonist Shiraz beat all comers from a total of 14,000 wines exported in 2010.

For our 2010 Exemplar McLaren Vale Shiraz, Walter selected the fruit from his own vineyard. This vineyard follows biodynamic principles, eliminating the use of pesticides and herbicides. The vineyard yielded approximately one and a half tons to the acre. The wine spent two years in American Oak barrels before being bottled, labelled and packaged. This produced 650 dozen bottles

Heathcote

Wine Maker: John Ellis

Wine writers refer to John as the ‘Godfather of Heathcote Shiraz.’ John owns Hanging Rock Winery near Mount Macedon in Victoria.

John graduated Dux of his year in Oenology at Roseworthy College in 1971 and began his winemaking career with Krondorf and Yalumba wineries. In 1974 John became the foundation winemaker at the newly established Rosemount Estate, where the following year Rosemount won 2 trophies and 17 gold medals.

He is a board member of the Winemakers Federation of Australia, Chairman of the Royal Hobart Wine Show and Show Judge at both the Rutherglen and Perth Wine Shows.

He carefully selected the fruit for our 2010 Exemplar Shiraz from the smallest vineyard in Heathcote. The vineyard yielded a little over one ton to the acre.

Once harvested the wine was crated and spent two years in American Oak barrels before being bottled, labelled and packaged.

We only produced 650 dozen bottles so this is a fine wine to add to your collection

John Ellis Heathcote Wine maker - The Godfather of Heathcote Shiraz
John Ellis Heathcote Wine maker - The Godfather of Heathcote Shiraz

Heathcote

Wine Maker: John Ellis

Wine writers refer to John as the ‘Godfather of Heathcote Shiraz.’ John owns Hanging Rock Winery near Mount Macedon in Victoria.

John graduated Dux of his year in Oenology at Roseworthy College in 1971 and began his winemaking career with Krondorf and Yalumba wineries. In 1974 John became the foundation winemaker at the newly established Rosemount Estate, where the following year Rosemount won 2 trophies and 17 gold medals.

John is a board member of the Winemakers Federation of Australia. He is Chairman of the Royal Hobart Wine Show and Show Judge at both the Rutherglen and Perth Wine Shows.

John selected the fruit for our 2010 Exemplar Shiraz from the smallest vineyard in Heathcote. The vineyard yielded a little over one ton to the acre. The wine spent two years in American Oak barrels before being bottled, labelled and packaged which produced 650 dozen bottles.

BENCHMARKING

We know the absolute quality and value of our Exemplar Shiraz however from
time to time we get these nagging little feelings of doubt, is our Exemplar as good
as we think it is? Find out from the best.

Grapes hanging down off the vine

Restaurants

Fine dining restaurants employ sommeliers, who decide which wines go onto heir wine lists. These people are highly trained and experienced. There are numerous sommeliers on judging panels at wine shows around the country.

Getting your wine into a fine dining restaurant is a daunting task. It can be uncomfortable to sit in front of a sommelier, who is tasting your wine and is about to give you an opinion as to whether or not your wine will go on their wine list.

Today’s sommeliers are making up a significant proportion of wine show judges. Many have completed the Len Evans Tutorial and more and more are becoming qualified as internationally recognised Masters of Wine. We are fortunate to have our wine in a number of fine dining restaurants. Sommeliers have the choice of stocking the best of the best. It is a great feeling when they choose to stock Exemplar Shiraz.

Flower-Drum
Tractor
Nobu Restaurant Logo
Pei Modern restaurant

JAMES HALLIDAY

James Halliday is recognized as Australia’s pre-eminent wine
critic. Here’s what he had to say about Exemplar in the 2013/2014
Wine Companion.

“If all are as good as the first wine released, there is much to look forward to. ”
— James Halliday

Rated five stars by James Halliday in Wine Companion
2013 edition

 

This virtual winery was established by Peter Mornement. His philosophy (and business plan) was simple: to develop a portfolio of high quality, high-value shiraz from six premium shiraz-producing regions. Each wine would be made by a winemaker in that region with an established reputation, and a simple instruction from Peter: buy the best fruit you can, and use the new oak of your choice.

The quantity of each wine made will be 650 dozen bottles. He has joined forces with John Ellis (of Hanging Rock) for Heathcote; Walter Clappis and Kym Teusner (of their eponymous wineries) for McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley respectively. The wines are sold in a six-bottle case, the initial releases from Heathcote and McLaren Vale, only to subscribers. If all are as good as the first wine released, there is much to look forward to.

Exemplar Double Presentation Pack

$270.00 AUD

In this stunning presentation box is a bottle of our 2010 Heathcote Shiraz and a bottle of 2010 McLaren Vale Shiraz.Beautifully presented in our signature red gift box with gold embossed logo. Upon opening the box you are presented with a scenic image of McLaren Vale, along with the 5 stars awarded by James Halliday. With the two bottles sitting side-by-side, multiple medals adorned, this presentation pack is sure to impress.

You also have the option to purchase two of the same wine if you wish. This is the perfect gift for any occasion.

Entered in wine shows globally, these wines are multi-award winners. Halliday awarded 5 stars, 96 and 95 respectively. Will this be the best shiraz you’ve had? You decide.Producing small parcels of this super premium shiraz means there is limited availability. Only sold online you will not see these wines in any retail outlets. If you want to buy Australian shiraz of this quality, you cannott go past Palmarium’s Exemplar Shiraz.

Exemplar Australian Shiraz Double Gift Box - Open View

Exemplar Australian Shiraz Double Gift Box - Open View

Exemplar Double Presentation Pack

$270.00 AUD

In this stunning presentation box is a bottle of our 2010 Heathcote Shiraz and a bottle of 2010 McLaren Vale Shiraz.Beautifully presented in our signature red gift box with gold embossed logo. Upon opening the box you are presented with a scenic image of McLaren Vale, along with the 5 stars awarded by James Halliday. With the two bottles sitting side-by-side, multiple medals adorned, this presentation pack is sure to impress.

You also have the option to purchase two of the same wine if you wish. This is the perfect gift for any occasion.

Entered in wine shows globally, these wines are multi-award winners. Halliday awarded 5 stars, 96 and 95 respectively. Will this be the best shiraz you’ve had? You decide.Producing small parcels of this super premium shiraz means there is limited availability. Only sold online you will not see these wines in any retail outlets. If you want to buy Australian shiraz of this quality, you cannott go past Palmarium’s Exemplar Shiraz.

Best Australian Shiraz - Exemplar 6 Pack of Heathcote & McLaren Vale Shiraz

Exemplar Six Pack

$770.00 AUD

Beautifully presented in this sturdy cardboard box with dividers,you will receive six bottles of our multi–award winning 2010 Exemplar Shiraz.You have the choice of six bottles of the one wine or three of each.When purchasing this six pack you will receive free shipping.

The godfather of Heathcote shiraz, John Ellis put his 40+ years of winemaking skills to work to create this stunning example of a Heathcote shiraz. It came from the smallest vineyard in Heathcote. One ton to the acre and two years in new oak.Halliday awarded the wine 5 stars, 96 points.

Prolific award winning McLaren Vale wine maker, Walter Clappis put his winemaking skills to work to craft this outstanding shiraz. Yielding 1.5 tonnes to the acre this bio-dynamic vineyard has produced rich, luscious fruit resulting in a long living shiraz of epic proportions. Two years in new oak. Halliday awarded 5 stars, 95 points!

Both of these wines have featured on the wine lists of Nobu, Flower Drum, Ten Minutes by Tractor, M on the Bund Shanghai, Mercedes Me Beijing and The Bridge Chengdu. Shown globally, these multi-award winning wines both won gold medals at the China Wine Awards and the McLaren Vale Shiraz was awarded Gold Outstanding at the IWSC–highest medal award at the largest wine show in the world, 300 judges involving 90 countries.These wines truly are benchmark wines of their regions.This six pack is sure to please any wine enthusiast for years to come. Is this some of the best wine in Australia? You decide.

Best Australian Shiraz - Exemplar 6 Pack of Heathcote & McLaren Vale Shiraz

Exemplar Six Pack

$770.00 AUD

Beautifully presented in this sturdy cardboard box with dividers,you will receive six bottles of our multi–award winning 2010 Exemplar Shiraz.You have the choice of six bottles of the one wine or three of each.When purchasing this six pack you will receive free shipping.

The godfather of Heathcote shiraz, John Ellis put his 40+ years of winemaking skills to work to create this stunning example of a Heathcote shiraz. It came from the smallest vineyard in Heathcote. One ton to the acre and two years in new oak.Halliday awarded the wine 5 stars, 96 points.

Prolific award winning McLaren Vale wine maker, Walter Clappis put his winemaking skills to work to craft this outstanding shiraz. Yielding 1.5 tonnes to the acre this bio-dynamic vineyard has produced rich, luscious fruit resulting in a long living shiraz of epic proportions. Two years in new oak. Halliday awarded 5 stars, 95 points!

Both of these wines have featured on the wine lists of Nobu, Flower Drum, Ten Minutes by Tractor, M on the Bund Shanghai, Mercedes Me Beijing and The Bridge Chengdu. Shown globally, these multi-award winning wines both won gold medals at the China Wine Awards and the McLaren Vale Shiraz was awarded Gold Outstanding at the IWSC–highest medal award at the largest wine show in the world, 300 judges involving 90 countries.These wines truly are benchmark wines of their regions.This six pack is sure to please any wine enthusiast for years to come. Is this some of the best wine in Australia? You decide.

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#EXEMPLAR

Australian Shiraz FAQs

What are Australia’s Wine regions?

Australia’s winemaking heritage can be traced back to as early as the late 18th century, when Governor Phillip planted cuttings brought from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to the new colony of New South Wales.

Since then, winemaking has spread across the six states and ACTin Australia. Today, over 130 different varieties of grapes (both red and white) are harvested by Australian commercial winemakers. Of the red grapes planted, the most popular has been Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The most popular white grapes planted are Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. These are cultivated across the major wine regions of Australia such as the Yarra Valley in Victoria, the Coonawarra and Barossa Valley in South Australia, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and Margaret River, in Western Australia.

What is the Shiraz grape and Wine?

Shiraz (or Syrah overseas) is a variety of slightly sweet, dark-skinned grapes. They are the offspring of an arcane line and were created when the dark skinned Dureza was crossed with the Mondeuse Blance, a white skinned grape. It’s hardiness has allowed it to flourish in dry climates so long as soils permit deep root infiltration. Today, it ranks as the world’s sixth most planted grape and produces a deep colored and concentrated red wine with excellent aging potential. It is arguably one of Australia’s most important wine exports.

Where Does Shiraz Grow Best and Why?

The traditional Shiraz from France can be found on the steep and rocky hills in the Northern Rhone Valley. Grown in the sandy and mineral rich soils, the traditional Shiraz has benefitted from deep root penetration and ripens best in the dry climate of the Rhone Valley.

Australia has a well earned global reputation for Shiraz, coming from the temperate climate regions of McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare, Heath cote and the Hunter Valley.These areas are considered to produce some of the best Australian Shiraz.

The Barossa Valley lies in South Australia and almost half of the vines are Shiraz; some of the vines date as early as the mid 19th century. The transverse valleys and sloping hills helps to create a unique microclimate that influences the growth and hence, quality of the grape harvested in the Barossa Valley. The unique microclimate, along with the warm weather and extreme temperatures between night and day serves to ripen the fruit, but also balance acidity. As a result Shiraz from the Barossa Valley can be a superior wine.

The Hunter Valley experiences a warm climate and shorter growing season. This results in medium bodied wines with a unique earthy and savoury taste.

The Clare Valley’s warmer climate with a capacity for extreme temperatures serves to create an acidic, yet vibrant taste. Wine from this area carries a flavour that has a strong emphasis on black cherry, liquorice and plum.

In McLaren Vale, the dry climate, long warm days and short cool nights has a similar effect as the Clare Valley. However, attention to soil strata and emphasis on creative expression, results in a fresh and innovative interpretation of the Australian Shiraz.

Over an hour north of the city of Melbourne, lies the Heathcote Valley. Archaic soils and a warm climate that has consistently produced Shiraz that has dazzled the world. The fine tannins, velvet texture and great ageing potential is characteristic of Australia’s Shiraz heritage.

Australia’s Shiraz industry is vibrant. Each region offers a different interpretation of Australian Shiraz. Palmarium has produced Super Premium Shiraz in three of the five regions we believe represent the great wonders of Australian Shiraz. Our Super Premium Shiraz reflects the past, the present and the future in what we believe is and will continue to be a dynamic industry.

History of the Australian Shiraz

Governor Phillip brought the first vine cuttings on-board the First Fleet in 1788. These were planted in what is now Macquarie Street, Sydney. Unfortunately for him and the administrators in the then penal colony in Sydney Cove, poor management led to the demise of the cuttings. Little would he have imagined, the ignition of a cultural evolution that would persist over two centuries later.

The first Shiraz vines were imported into Australia from Spain and France in 1832 by celebrated viticulturist, James Busby. Despite its modern-day reverence, until the mid 19th century, Shiraz was not a household name. In fact, it was described by bin numbers or generic descriptions such as Claret, Burgundy and even Hermitage. Only when Australia’s wine industry adopted the name Shiraz and began to market it as the quintessential Australian red wine, did international recognition occur.

Today, the brand recognition of Australian Shiraz is so potent, that similar varieties from its ancestral home in France and Spainand across the worldhave also adopted the Shiraz name. So how did Australia’s Shiraz become Australian Shiraz?

Australian Shiraz began when Dr Christopher Penfold arrived in Adelaide in 1844 and established Magill Estate on the Grange. It was initially promoted by physicians as a treatment for anaemic patients.

When Silesian immigrants settled in the Barossa Valley in the 1850s, they brought their skills and refining production to deliver a more consistent quality and higher output. These earlier vintages resembled the characteristics of today’s Australian Shiraz. The full-bodied blackberry and plum nature transformed Australian Shiraz from the component of a blend, to a stand-alone wine.

However, the renaissance of Australian Shiraz only emerged from the efforts of revered winemaker, Max Schubert. Today, he is best known as the creator of Grange Hermitage, which arguably is the best Australian Shiraz, certainly the most recognised. After a pilgrimage to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired to create a wine with an aging potential of at least twenty years. He found the perfect marriage by maturing his Shiraz in American oak casks. Upon release to the public, the Penfolds 1952 vintage won acclaim and has since become the paragon to claim the title of Australia’s greatest red.

Despite the renaissance that matured the Australian Shiraz industry, it was not until globalisation occurred that Australian Shiraz became internationally renowned. Priced competitively and with modern labels that stood as a contrast to the Old World producers, who sold with aged labels at astronomical prices.Australian Shiraz winemakers entered the market as the enfant terrible. The increasing size of the middle class and hubris of the Old World producers provided the perfect catalyst for the bombastic entrant to stand out on the international stage. The intense bold flavours and exotic origin of the Australian Shiraz appealed to influencers such as Robert Parker Jr, which led to widespread recognition that has persistent to this day.

At Palmarium, we hope to challenge, not the authority of the Penfolds 1952 but how you, our customers define a great Australian red. This means challenging your opinion of the aroma, the taste, the dryness and to that end, it’s personality. And while the Penfolds 1952 has carried the mantle of Australia’s greatest red, we work everyday to offer an alternative at a price point way below the cost of a bottle of Penfolds Grange.

When is Shiraz so good and Why?

The diversity and versatility of Shiraz lends itself to a range of different meals. From sweet and ripe to savory. Shiraz has been paired to great affect with grilled or roast beef, spiced cuts such as brisket or even in stews. For the auspicious occasion, try pairing our Super Premium Shiraz with roasted lamb, or even strong hard cheese such as cheddar.

And if you’re game, pair it with exotic meat such as kangaroo and venison. Bold, diverse and innovative. It is this diversity that confers Shiraz the title of the great Australian red and ours, among the most exquisite.

Why the Heathcote, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valleys are great for growing premium grapes?

Palmarium produces wine from three renowned viticultural regions—Heathcote, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valleys. This multi-region approach allows for a consistent style of wine production, with a superb palate of flavours, but without sacrificing its aging potential.

Heathcote :

The red Cambrian soils of Heathcote have an excellent capacity for water retention, which naturally fosters the production of high quality Shiraz. Over sixty vineyards call the Heathcote Valley home. Heathcote’s soil is composed of calcareous sodic clay, ironstone and dark brown gravels. The mineral rich soil, along with its moisture retention means that dry-grown Shiraz will mature gradually over the warm Victorian summer. With cooler nights, Shiraz in the Heathcote Valley retains a compelling acidity favoured by many wine connoisseurs.

Most Shiraz produced in the Heathcote Valley have a sweet spicy fruit flavor, with an empowering linger of cherry plum. Minute differences in sunlight, rainfall and micro-climates influence the budding Shiraz and results in a flavour unique to your palate. The Shiraz we harvest from the Heathcote Valley emerges as a full, deep purple wine with an exotic palate of spice, licorice, black cherry and blackberry. The fine tannins in the Shiraz creates a strong texture and confers an excellent capacity to age.

Aside from its unparalleled Shiraz, the Heathcote Valley is also celebrated for its Marsanne, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties.

McLaren Vale

Producing Shiraz wine since 1838, McLaren Vale has established a long heritage in South Australia’s viticultural industry. In fact, 55% of the area for wine production is dedicated to Shiraz. Similar to Heathcote, McLaren Vale has a Mediterranean climate with dry summer and autumn seasons but benefits from fresh sea breezesand chilly winds from the hillside. This moderates the temperatures as the Shiraz grapes grow. The end result is a deep and dense purple to crimson wine with the intense flavour of blackberry, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate quadrella. While some connoisseurs sample the thick texture, others can appreciate a velvet texture.

Aside from Shiraz, McLaren Vale is revered for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. If you should visit, you may also encounter wine produced from the Mataro, Chardonnay and even some Meditarranean varieties such as Vermentino, Montepulciano, Barbera and, Fiano.

Barossa Valleys

From the lookout on Mengler Hillyou can appreciate why the Barossa Valley’s most spectacular export is produced from its vineyards. Since 1847, Shiraz vines have been one of the cornerstones of the local economy and is one of the main drivers of employment for residents in Barossa. Such is its success, that it is celebrated every second year in a week-long festival drawing visitors from across the world.

The Mediterranean climate and archaic soils of the Barossa Valley have produced some of the world’s pre-eminent Shiraz. Our Shiraz from the Barossa Valley is characterised by a smooth blend of smoky, spicy, peppery and meaty aromas. All in a full-bodied red wine.

While Shiraz is the quintessential vine cultivated from the Barossa Valley, other varieties such as Grenache, Mataro, Riesling and Semillon are also produced.
Palmarium will continue to make our Exemplar Shiraz in regions that are best suited to produceamazing wines. Palmarium will continue to have iconic wine makers crafting our Exemplar Shiraz without any commercial restraints. Palmarium will continue to produce some of the best  Australian Shiraz.