Vinaceous 'Snake Charmer' is a rich, concentrated Shiraz from the Russell Road vineyard in Frankland River, in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. Warm days and cold nights help the fruit develop intensity and structure. Dark-fruited and firmly tannic in its youth, it can benefit from decanting and is described as a wine with potential to soften and gain flesh with time.

Key Information and Highlights

• Region: Frankland River, Great Southern, Western Australia  
  
• Vineyard: Russell Road  
  
• Vintage: 2023  
  
• Type: Shiraz  
  
• Alcohol volume: 15.0% Alc/Vol  
  
• Oak maturation: 10 months in French oak barriques, including 10% new oak

Critic Scores
Winepilot’s Ken Gargett awarded the 2023 vintage 93 points. The Wine Collective listing also reports a 91-point Wine Orbit score from Sam Kim. 

Producer Background
The grapes are sourced from the Russell Road vineyard in Frankland River. According to the supplied winemaking notes, fruit is harvested fully ripe during the cool of the night and crushed into open-top fermenters. Plunging and pumping over help extract colour and tannin. At dryness, the wine is pressed, with the pressings retained in the blend, then matured for ten months in French oak barriques, 10% of which are new.

Flavour Profile

• Appearance: Dense, dark and almost black  
  
• Nose: Brooding dark-cherry and chocolate aromas; other tasting notes describe blackberry, plum, spice and savoury graphite  
  
• Palate: Immense and fleshy, with ripe dark fruit and firm, structured tannins. It is dry and medium- to full-bodied, with a savoury finish.

Serving, Cellaring and Food Pairings

• Decanting: Decanting for about an hour is suggested for a young bottle, allowing its aromas and flavours to open up.  
  
• Serving temperature: Around 16°C is recommended by one retailer.  
  
• Cellaring: The wine may soften and become more supple with time. We suggest a five to eight year window.

Enjoy it with:

• Slow-cooked beef, steak or lamb  
• Barbecued or roasted red meats  
• Mature hard cheeses

Open a bottle now with a hearty meal after decanting, or cellar it to give its firm tannins time to mellow.