Celebrate National Shiraz Day at Cupitt's Estate
We're celebrating National Shiraz Day on Thursday, the 25th of July, by shining a spotlight on one of our most beloved wines: Dusty Dog Shiraz. Named after the Cupitt family's much-loved Doberman, Dusty, this Shiraz has become a signature wine that we have proudly offered for many years.This wine features floral notes of violet, vibrant red berries, raspberry, and plum on the palate, with silky tannins and a delicate finish. It's a wine we’re very proud to share.
The Story Behind Dusty Dog Shiraz
The first Dusty Dog Shiraz was made in 2013 and won a gold medal and best Shiraz in show trophy at the Australian Highlands Show in 2014, judged by Industry legend Huon Hooke. Each vintage has been meticulously made, receiving great reviews annually from James Halliday Wine Companion, including 95 points (Gold) in 2019.The origins of our Dusty Dog Shiraz are deeply rooted in the Hilltops region of NSW, where we source our premium Shiraz grapes. For the past 11 years, we have had the pleasure of working with Ballinaclash, a relationship that has been instrumental in producing our outstanding Shiraz. Wally Cupitt, our head winemaker, shares his insights: “We’ve been sourcing our Dusty Dog Shiraz from the same single vineyard in Hilltops since 2013 from the hard-working Mullany family of Ballinaclash. Grown on a leeward, east-facing slope of red sand and clay over deep, decomposed granite from vines planted 25 years ago, the hallmark of Hilltops Shiraz for me is the intense, perfumed aromatics combined with a very elegant, fruit-forward, and complex palate. We co-ferment with around 2-4% Hilltops Viognier to add to the silkiness on the palate and mature in 300L French oak hogsheads at 20-30% new oak. Very much inspired by the Syrah wines from the Northern Rhone with that medium-bodied, highly aromatic and elegant quality. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to be able to make wine from this very special vineyard grown by our mates, the Mullanys.”
We caught up with Cath from Ballinacrash: "Ballinaclash has had the pleasure of growing Shiraz grapes for the Cupitt family for 11 years. We love working with Wally and his family, and they have definitely played a large part in our grape-growing journey. When selling our grapes off-farm, it is always important to us to work with the winemaker to ensure the final product is the best it can be, and the Cupitts have always made that relationship work so seamlessly.
As vignerons, our purpose and passion at Ballinaclash is to grow premium grapes. Each vintage, we confidently hand our Shiraz grapes over to the care of Wally, knowing full well that they will be produced into premium wine. Each year, we definitely look forward to tasting the end result of this collaboration! As the next generation of Ballinaclash grape growers takes the reins, we look forward to continuing to grow premium Shiraz for the Cupitts, well into the future.
Our Shiraz vines were among our first grapes planted back in 1997. Located on the Eastern slopes of Ballinaclash at 510m and planted into beautiful, red clay and sand topsoil that was blown in from the dust storms of Central Australia many eons ago, this soil sits atop a well-drained granite base; perfect for growing grapes. Our cool nights during the pre-harvest period ensure a slow ripening, intensifying the berry flavour."
Celebrate National Shiraz Day with us and experience the exceptional quality and rich heritage of Dusty Dog Shiraz. We look forward to celebrating Shiraz Day with you.
