How did Jayson do it?

Those of you who have sampled the highly sought after Hundred Acre know Jayson achieves such incredible results through a "money is no object, I just want to make the best damn wine possible" philosophy.

Layer Cake starts in the vineyard where sustainable farming of the highest quality fruit from low-yield vines (3-4 tons per acre as opposed to 7-8 tons almost everywhere else in the valley!) provides the raw materials necessary to make a great wine.

The "Draconian" grape selection process is matched only by the fastidious attention to detail and uncompromising commitment to quality in the winery. The winemaking process starts with gentle stainless steel cold-fermentation before a portion of the juice spends some time in new French oak. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfuring.

While much of the Shiraz on the market today is overripe, over-oaked, and brimming with alcohol, Layer Cake is irrefutable evidence that great wine can be made in a balanced "New World" style without going overboard.

---

Where In The World?

Located 1 hour north of Adelaide in the state/territory of South Australia, the Barossa Valley is the most famous wine region in the country even though it accounts for a relatively small percentage of overall Australian wine production.

Barossa is home to the famous Penfold's Grange, which broke the Australian wine scene with its first vintage in 1951 and historically has been known as the benchmark age-worthy Australian Shiraz.

Despite the fact that Phylloxera ravaged other parts of the country in the late 1870s, Barossa vines were never infected - some say due to the heat and dryness of the region, while others claim it was strictly-enforced quarantine legislation.

Physically, Barossa is located between the ocean and the desert environs of the Outback and is bordered by the namesake large Barossa Range to the east. Each environment struggles to dominate the valley's climate and makes the days incredibly hot while keeping the nights very cool.

The valley itself is 40 kilometers (24 miles) in length and is filled with gently rolling hills. Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere its seasons are reversed and the harvest begins in March and continues into April.

Settled in 1842 by immigrants of Prussia and Silesia, the name Barossa comes from the Australian Colonel William Light who took the name from the Spanish Barrosa Beach, the location of an Anglo-Spanish v. French battle in the early 1800s Peninsular War.