Here’s a dozen Shiraz from the Barossa, the Clare Valley and McLaren Vale, with a 95-point Clare Shiraz, 95 pointers from McLaren Vale and a trio of Shiraz made by former Penfolds winemaker Oliver Crawford.
We’ve also included a bonus bottle of Yaldara’s Grand Cuvée, which Sam Kim has just rated at 96 points, saying ‘This is superbly ripe and perfumed with black/blueberry, vanillin oak, warm spice and mocha notes on the nose. The powerfully concentrated palate delivers outstanding weight and opulence, together with velvety texture and fine-grained tannins, making it gratifying and immensely appealing.’ At its best: now to 2039.
Even more concentrated than the 2018 vintage. A massive, deep and complex expression of the best bits of the Barossa Valley. Dark chocolate, liquorice, tobacco leaf, cedar, cassis, plums, cherries, spice and plenty of cedary oak and tannins. Incredible.
96pts Sam Kim, 95pts Kim Brebach, 94pts Ken Gargett
A black, plush, and full-bodied Shiraz made from 80-year-old vines. Exceptional fruit intensity here, and weight of black fruits on the palate. Opulence is balanced by judicious acidity and there’re plenty of tannins driving through to an epic conclusion. Decant if you are going to enjoy now, otherwise cellar!
A beautifully sweetly fruited McLaren Vale Shiraz designed for drinking any time over the next decade. We found rich black fruits, liquorice, spice and a little dark chocolate. This is an engaging and relatively easy to drink wine, with a powerful core of fruit, a long finish and fine tannins.
Whilst 2020 was a challenging growing season and yields were very low, fruit quality and concentration were excellent, even exemplary. There is concentrated black and blue fruit here, along with cedar and spice. The acid is fantastic, playing the perfect underscore to the fruit and giving this wine excellent lift and length. Tannins are fine and firm. Superb to drink now and for the next decade.
There’s big, and there’s this – a huge Barossa Shiraz loaded with black fruits, vanilla and plenty of cedary oak. The fruits are blues and black and we also found dark chocolate, black pepper, spice and more. This is a helluva mouthful and worth cracking with something red and meaty.
A rich and satisfying, full bodied Barossa Shiraz offering generous and intense dark fruits, chocolate, vanilla, cherries, plum and spice. Cedary oak is evident too. Ask us about mates rates on this one!
A beautifully silky and expressive mid-weight shiraz. Blackberries, plums, chocolate, with red fruits and great acidity too. While it is midweight, the fruit concentration is excellent and will satisfy you if you like your wines on the big side. A cracker, which will only improve with time.
