The lead-up to the 2013 vintage saw an early onset of summer, with occasional thunder-storms and only four heat spikes, into the 40s, over summer. A cooler than average January followed by a warm February, brought the predicted early vintage even further forward. Even after the dry-fecta of winter/spring/summer the word from the winery floor was that it would be another great Eden Valley riesling year, followed up with some great old-vine shiraz. Fortunately, a desperately needed 16mm of rain came, the first for nearly six months, at the beginning of March to help the dry-grown vines struggle through to full maturity. The roller-coaster weather ride continued through March with almost weekly cycles of hot and cold.

Dark, enticing aromas of blackberries, mulberries and ripe plums with herbaceous notes of crushed fresh bay leaf and sage, and underlying nuances of black pepper, clove and cedar.

The palate is rich and lush, with fantastic balance between concentrated blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit flavours, spicy black pepper and mocha undertones, layers of texture, velvety fine-grained tannins and great length.

Very deep crimson in colour.

PENANG CURRY OF GRILLED BEEF |

***Ingredients***:

- Spices
- 2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ a nutmeg, crushed
- 6 cloves
- 3cm piece cassia bark

***Curry Paste***:

- ½ cup garlic, peeled
- 1 cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup roasted red onion
- ½ cup sliced lemon grass
- ¼ cup sliced galangal
- ¼ cup coriander root
- 2 tbsp kaffir lime zest
- 2 tbsp roasted shrimp paste
- 3 large dry chillies, tops and seeds removed
- ¼ cup sliced ginger
- ¼ cup crushed peanuts

***Curry***:

- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 50g palm sugar
- 10ml fish sauce
- 300ml coconut milk
- 12 snake beans
- 4 apple eggplants
- 8 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 large red chilli
- ½ cup plucked Thai basil leaves

***Beef Marinade***:

- 4 large thick-cut sirloin steaks
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp curry spice

***Method***:

1. Place all of the spices into a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until they are toasted and fragrant. Allow to cool before grinding to a fine powder. Reserve ½ a teaspoon for the beef marinade.
2. Combine all the paste ingredients and then purée in small batches in a food processor until a fine paste is achieved. When all of the paste is puréed, add in the ground spice and stir thoroughly.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the curry paste and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently. When the paste is starting to slightly caramelise, add the palm sugar and fish sauce; stir, and then add ½ cup of water. Cook this down until the curry is dry again. Repeat this twice again, then add 1 cup of water and half the coconut milk. Simmer the curry.
4. Coat the beef with the soy sauce and spices. Grill to rare, then rest.
5. Cut the snake beans into 3cm length, slice the apple eggplants into wedges and add them to the curry, along with the remaining coconut milk and 4 whole kaffir lime leaves.
6. Very finely shred the other 2 kaffir lime leaves. Cut the chilli in half; remove the seeds and finely julienne the chilli.
7. Slice the beef into bite-sized pieces, fold them through the curry and place in a serving bowl.
8. Sprinkle with the Thai basil leaves, shredded kaffir lime leaves and red chilli. Serve with steamed rice.

***Serves 6.***

Matured in 15% new and 85% seasoned (85% French and 15% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.

Cool drizzly weather at the end of March nearly brought the harvest to a halt, but with a return to the Indian summer conditions in early April, it gave us a chance to get the late varieties in Eden Valley over the line, predominantly cabernet sauvignon and merlot, returning us to another great vintage of average yields and fabulous rock solid quality.