Iconic Australian winery McWilliam’s Wines will honour the family’s first female vineyard manager and
winemaker, second-generation Eliza Jane McWilliam, with a special release Shiraz, to be unveiled this
March.
The 2018 Eliza Jane Canberra District Shiraz celebrates the tenacity and grace of Eliza Jane, who, in
1902, managed the family’s Sunnyside vineyard and winery operations after the passing of her father,
Samuel McWilliam. The wine will be the top shiraz offering in the McWilliam’s Wines portfolio – a fitting
tribute to the legacy of Eliza Jane.
“Eliza was the eldest daughter of nine children to Samuel and Martha McWilliam. That in itself comes
with tremendous responsibility,” sixth-generation McWilliam’s Global Brand Ambassador Scott McWilliam
said.
“While John James, her younger brother, was responsible for bringing the McWillam family to Griffith, it
was Eliza who returned to Sunnyside Vineyard in Corowa when Samuel died in 1902. She and her two
sisters took to running Sunnyside for two solid years before it was sold off.
“She even won 1st place in Sweet White Wine at the Corowa Agricultural Show with her first vintage
release in 1904. I dare say she would likely be Australia’s first female winemaker, if not one of the most
successful female winemakers of her time.”
McWilliam’s has crafted this tribute shiraz from fruit grown at the Quarry Hill Vineyard, just south of
Murrumbateman in the Canberra District. It is a small, dramatic amphitheatre-like vineyard with very thin
soils primarily composed of granite.
Winemaking
To craft the 2018 McWilliam’s Eliza Jane Canberra District Shiraz, pristine, cool-climate fruit was selected from the top of the slope of Quarry Hill vineyard.
The fruit was hand-picked in the early morning, then rapidly transported to the Hanwood winery in Griffith, where it was cool stored overnight before processing the next morning. 50% whole clusters were included in the open fermenter for lifted aromatics and greater expression of regional typicity.
The juice was fermented for 14 days on skins until ideal colour extraction and tannin profile was
achieved. The wine was gently pressed off and transferred to French oak puncheons for 10 months on
fine lees with nil rackings. Only 25% new oak was used, with the remainder second and third fill. A gentle
fining and filtration were completed before bottling to ensure a bright and vibrant wine.
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The result is a silky, medium-bodied wine with soaring aromas of floral spices, white pepper and
concentrated red fruits with a background of toast oak. The silky structure of the palate is spice-laden,
complemented with complex red berried fruits. The tannins are impeccably detailed and fine-boned,
showcasing the granite nature of the soils.
“This is a modern, cool climate, shiraz. It is beautifully concentrated and fresh. I can’t think of a better
wine to honour someone so prominent in our family tree,” McWilliam said.
The bottle is specially labelled with Eliza Jane’s name and signature, sitting proudly as the main feature.
Each bottle comes with a commemorative gift box mirroring the beautiful design of the bottle.
McWilliam’s 2018 Eliza Jane Canberra District Shiraz will have limited availability from March 2023 for
select wine retailers and through McWilliam’s online cellar door for RRP: $100.