The Story Grampians Shiraz 2014 was created in a cooler year, just a return to average temperatures after a prolonged period of warm, early years. There are explosive violets, graphite, meat, black fruits and black pepper, all classic syrah, with a twist of the warm spice synonymous with the region. a dark, ripe, controlled and firm core of black fruit and spice ripples through the palate, the tannins are generous but supportive, and the finish fresh and lengthy. “Perhaps our best ‘Grampians’ ever”
The winemaking is a little different from many, as their winery is located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne, some two to three hours from the vineyards in the Grampians and Henty. This urban context allows the team to live close to some of their customers, the majority of which are restaurants and independent retailers, which allows them to draw inspiration from the great cultural diversity of the city. The harvest decisions are usually amongst the earliest in the region, emphasising acidity and freshness and attempting to maintain moderate alcohol levels and bright aromas. Once they get the grapes to the winery, they are gently destemmed (or not) and moved by gravity to small open fermenters where they ferment with ambient yeasts and as few additions as possible. Many of the wines have no additions other than sulphur dioxide, and for the reds, they are usually bottled without any fining or filtration. Simple, hands-off winemaking.
The winery was named “The Story” one night over a few drinks with friends back in 2003. It was explained that the team had no clue what to call it because they seemed to lack all the usual core ingredients to a grand winery name. They (at the time) owned no vineyards, so couldn’t name it after that, or a hill, creek, valley or river. The family had no history in the wine game, so the Lane name would have meant nothing to anybody, and they didn’t have any children or even a dog to name it after. A good friend concluded that you really just have the stories that go along with how you make the wines, and they loved the way it connoted a connectedness to others, a sharing, and a present tense. “It felt current, and it felt like a way to talk to people. And that’s what we want to try and do with our wines. Each vintage there is a new story to tell, and each year our label changes to reflect that story. Every wine is a story”.
