Domaine Razal is without question one of my 'finds' of the past 2 years. The winery is essentially a reincarnation of the historic and very storied Virgin Hills, located at a brutally cold 600m altitude near Kyneton in the Macedon Ranges. There have been a number of, frankly, disinterested owners post founder Tom Lazar, but the arrival of owners Stephen and Kerri Stack and, importantly, local winemaker Ben Kimmorley (ex Curly Flat) are giving this wonderful site every chance to flourish again.
The vineyard was first planted in 1968, marking the modern era for winemaking in the modern era in the Macedon Ranges. The proprietory wine was a Bordeaux-inspired red blend, a combination of grapes that is rarely, if at all, attempted today given the marginal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine soon made waves & was a constant favourite of James Halliday and even made its way into Langton's 'Excellent' classification.
Today Razal remains a work-in-progress and Kimmorley and team continue to rework the 25 acres of 'old vines'. The hommage to the original Virgin Hills BDX blend takes the form of the 'Heritage' blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Shiraz) and production is limited to ~500 cases per vintage. A Chardonnay is also produced under the proprietory label whilst the secondary label 'Dom Raz' includes Shiraz, a Shiraz 'pressings' bottling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rose.
The wines are incredibly fine boned and it is clear they present best in warmer vintages. Of note is the fluffy, silica-grained tannin in the cabernet-based wines - rare to see such elegance AND presence in Australian wines.
"This blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, malbec and merlot is from the former Virgin Hills vineyard, and the name is that of founder Tom Lazar spelt backwards. He planted the first vines in the early 1970s and Virgin Hills quickly became a cult wine. The vineyard has a new lease of life but the new owners aren’t allowed to use the famous name. Deep and brightly youthful purple colour; cassis and mulberry fresh cabernet aromas—very youthful and exuberant but a touch callow. It is medium bodied and elegantly balanced and textured, with fine grained tannins and lots of charm. The intense red fruits and violets resonate throughout the palate and aftertaste. Smart wine with potential: it’s worth laying down to build mellow flavours and softness." 92pts | Huon Hooke | The Real Review
Related Products
