2007 Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz

Sparkling Shiraz is a unique Australian wine style, first developed in South Australia in the late 1800’s. From the 1930’s through to the 50’s, the Seppelt winery at Great Western in Victoria became the home of great Australian Sparkling Shiraz, or Sparkling Burgundy as it was commonly known at the time.

Chief Winemaker Andrew Wigan grew up in a town close to that winery and those Sparkling Shiraz held a strong attraction for a young winemaker. Ever since he came to the Barossa in the mid 1970’s to work with Peter Lehmann, he wanted to make a great sparkling wine from Barossa Shiraz. We started making a few cases each year in the 1980’s and didn’t get really serious about it until the first wine was released in 1999 from the 1994 vintage after 5 years cellaring in the bottle on tirage. Made in traditional Methodé Champenoise.

We named it The Black Queen in honour of the most hauntingly famous Black Queen of all, The Queen of Sheba, who describes herself in the book of Solomon “I am black, (and) comely.” There can be no better description of this wine. A truely indulgent pleasure.