2022 Rylstone Estate 'Aviatrix' Shiraz-Petit Verdot

SNAPSHOT

• Style: Cool-climate Shiraz–Petit Verdot — dark-fruited, perfumed, structured and long
• Varietal mix: 90% Shiraz · 10% Petit Verdot
• PV brings the back-palate lift: colour, acid, violet perfume and a late surge of structure
• Vegan: Yes (Vegecoll fined)
• Cases Produced 481

TERROIR

Ultra-cool inland site above Rylstone at ~650 m ASL with wide diurnal range. North-facing slopes rise from the Cudgegong River over an Ordovician (≈450 Myr) limestone reef with shallow sandy / sandy-loam soils. Low soil heat retention plus valley cold-air pooling yields effective night-time temperatures akin to ~1,200–1,300 m, preserving perfume and natural acidity. Season rhythm: budburst late Sept/Oct; veraison Jan/Feb; harvest Mar/Apr.

VINTAGE & VINEYARD

From A Block Shiraz (SA1654) and B Block Petit Verdot (H8V11); average vine age ~22 years at harvest. Season 2022: A cool, late and relatively wet vintage that rewarded patience and careful canopy work. Ripening was slow, with excellent natural acidity and strong aromatic development. For red varieties, the challenge was disease pressure and timing; the opportunity was long flavour build without excessive alcohol. Harvest 4 April (Shiraz) and 12 April (Petit Verdot). Yield: ~6.5 t/ha (~39 hL/ha).

WINEMAKING

Very gentle press cycle to limit seed tannin and maximise free-run purity. Fermented in Potter tanks, 13 days on skins with remontage for colour and fine tannin. Gentle pressing; hard pressings excluded. Fined with Vegecoll (vegan friendly). Élevage 14 months in 2–3-year-old French barriques (Taransaud), medium grain/toast from mixed forests—seasoning, not flavouring.

Analysis at bottling Alc: 14.1% pH: 3.5 TA: 6.5 g/L RS: 0.6 g/L

TASTING

Colour: deep ruby with purple glints. Bouquet: blackberry, plum and dark cherry with violet lift, cracked pepper, gingerbread spice and a subtle earthy note. Palate: smooth, dark-fruited and finely structured. Shiraz brings plum, blackberry, spice and supple flow; Petit Verdot adds colour, acidity, violet perfume and a distinctive back-palate kick. Where Shiraz–Viognier is about seamless glide and smooth length to the end of the palate, this blend builds differently — the fruit sits plush and composed up front, then rises again through the finish with Petit Verdot’s late surge of acid, tannin and dark-fruited drive.

FOOD & SERVICE

Excellent with grilled lamb, beef short rib, duck, venison, pork belly, mushroom dishes, eggplant, smoky barbecue flavours and slow-cooked stews. Also strong with spice-led dishes where dark fruit, pepper and fresh acidity can carry the richness. Serve: 16–18 °C / 61-65 °F in large red-wine stems; a splash-pour is enough.

WHY SHIRAZ–PETIT VERDOT?

In our ultra-cool limestone site, Shiraz gives perfume, pepper spice and savoury dark fruit without excessive weight. Petit Verdot acts as a structural amplifier: deepening colour, tightening the acid line, adding violet-dark fruit lift and extending the finish. The shape is the point. Shiraz–Viognier is smooth, polished and gliding; Shiraz–Petit Verdot has more of a back-palate J-curve — the wine rises again at the finish, with extra colour, tension, structure and length. The result is cool-climate Shiraz with darker architecture: fragrant and smooth, but with a serious late-palate drive.

ABOUT THE NAME & LABEL

A salute to pioneering female aviators—Amelia Earhart, Baroness Raymonde de Laroche, Nancy-Bird Walton, Katharine Wright—role models of grit and grace. Label design is inspired by Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow and designed by Will.

ABOUT RYLSTONE ESTATE

A hospitality-driven collaboration between Will de Beaurepaire and James Wilkinson, built for restaurants, hotels and events. The brief is terroir before technique—clean lines, food-centric balance, and zero “cosmetic winemaking.” Texture and longevity are set in the vineyard and élevage, not added after the fact.