Shiraz

THE WINE ADVOCATE Rating: 97 points Drink Date: 2006 - 2026 The dense purple-colored 2004 Shiraz Oracle ratchets up the fruit and glycerin levels, yet remains pure, elegant, and well-balanced. It offers beautiful aromas of blueberries, blackberries, acacia flowers, and spicy oak. Full-bodied, powerful, cleanly textured, long, and heady, I would not be surprised to see it evolve for 15-20 years. - Robert M. Parker, Jr., 31st Oct 2006.

  "Immensely complex and fragrant, the bouquet is filled with dark fruit richness, charcuterie, spicy oak and mocha characters, leading to a concentrated palate offering plush mouthfeel backed by bold tannins, finishing lingering and sturdy.: 97 Points; Sam Kim; Wine Orbit At its best: now to 2033. "A marvelous example of Coonawarra Shiraz. It’s powerful yet so beautifully refined. Deeply concentrated spicy dark fruit characters burst from the glass. It is a plush and generously appointed wine of tremendous poise. A mix of French and American oak has been used perfectly, contributing to a wine that retains its life and...

"This slips down easily. Ripe/sweet redcurrant and plum flavours, pure and free, run evenly and openly through an uncomplicated palate. Talk about smooth. As dangerously drinkable as they come." 91 points. Campbell Mattinson Published 29 November 2022.   WINEMAKERS COMMENTS The colour is a vibrant deep red with a ruby hue. Black fruit aromas with similar characters on the palate, which is luscious with nice spicy fruit flavours with hints of plum, nutmeg and gentle tannins with a generous finish. The Majella Sparkling shiraz has become a bit of an icon for the passionate spparkling shiraz drinker. Big broody christmas cake...

James Suckling 95. James Halliday 95 points. "THE ELEVENTH HOUR: Very pure. The Australian Chave?" JS. The Massena label was created as a self funded apprenticeship project between self-styled winemakers Jaysen Collins and Dan Standish. It is unique in concept and execution as the philosophy is to add NOTHING in the winemaking process. Absolutely nothing. The sixty year old Shiraz vines from Greenock that produced the original wine were ready to be uprooted due to the lack of yields and the reluctance of other companies to pay a premium for this excellent fruit. After repeated requests for access to these grapes, at 'the...

Massena was established at the turn of the century by Jaysen Collins and Dan Standish. Growing up amongst the old vines of the Barossa inspired a collaboration in making wines of character, balance and a reflection of the sense of enjoyment in the whole winemaking process. The search for amazing vineyards continued year after year which culminated in welcoming Stonegarden custodian Glen Monaghan into the Massena collective. Black pepper, aniseed, dark cherry and liquorice aromas. The opulent palate is full of black cherry,  and dark chocolate with typical Barossa black fruits and a rich, supple mouthfeel. Fresh acidity ensures the wine...

Fruit off Quarry Hill vineyard near Murrumbateman. A noir red with a purple tinge to the rim, then a decadent, structured wine follows. A mass of dark plums all spiced up with savoury oak following through on the full-bodied palate. While there’s a succulence within, there are also ripe, compact tannins keeping the wine firmly in shape and leading to a slightly drying finish.95 points. Jane Faulkner Published 16 August 2022 The Single Vineyard range is site specific, showcasing individual style and personality, delivering wines of terrific nuance and detail. The McWilliam’s winemaking team continually strive for quality, pushing...

A cleverly made shiraz that reveals what this variety can deliver in Margaret River. It’s co-fermented with a small amount of spicy viognier and then gets a little carbonic maceration, both of which contribute to its perfumed aromas and bright palate. It then gets 17 months in a mix of French and American oak. Velvety smooth palate, yet there is power here driving a sustained finish. An effortless wine of class. Drink to: 2024-2036; Price: $100.00; Rating: 96 Points; Ray Jordan.

James Suckling 99 points. "This has a very complex and alluring array of rich red plums, blackberries, dark cherries and blueberries. Entrancing depth and purity with some stony, graphite-like notes, too. The palate has a striking core of intense, fresh dark-berry and plum flavors and some orange peel and dark chocolate to close. Drink or hold. Screw cap." Planted in 1880 by Charles King, the 'Old Hill' or 'O.H' vineyard has produced some of the Hunter Valley's greatest red wines. Legendary winemaker Maurice O'Shea first made wine from the 'Old Hill' in the 1920's & 1930's. These early...

First made in 1953 and thought to be named in honour of Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh. Always a major part of the annual Mount Pleasant production (largely contract-grown), and for some years of modest quality and deep discounts. The quantity made these days is far less, most surprising its estate origins and its quality – a classic medium-bodied, finely balanced wine proudly flying the flag for Mount Pleasant and Hunter Valley shiraz. The great vintage was its own reward. 95 points. James Halliday Published 21 February 2023

Gold Medal and Trophy, Hunter Valley Wine Show. James Halliday 99 points. Arguably, one of the greatest red vintages in living memory', says Mount Pleasant. The flagship wine. Destemmed and crushed, short cold soak, open-fermented, matured in large format French oak (30% new) for 18 months. Has the gently throbbing power of a Rolls Royce; superb, deep crimson-purple hue, itself rare in the Hunter Valley. Countless layers of black fruits have absorbed the oak and put the undoubted tannins into limbo land. O'Shea would have died a happy man had this been his last wine. Dissecting it now is an academic exercise at best, so great is its...

97+ Points - Gary Walsh Wine Front " The winemaking and style of these 2017 reds is probably the best I’ve seen from this venerable old winery. Hats off to Adrian Sparks and Jim Chatto. This is a mix of Rosehill and ‘Estate’ fruit, with a sneaky, but very clever addition of 6% Pinot Noir. It’s now being made in a way that O’Shea would approve of, I suspect. It’s a beautiful wine, excellence in simplicity and verity of fruit, rather than industry in the winery. Perfumed, so fine and long, effortless flow and sense of grace, with an amalgam of mixed berries, spice, aniseed, and earth, supple but...

James Halliday 99 points. "An utterly stupendous wine, in the same league as Penfolds 1962 Bin 60A. This O'Shea has the complexity of a great tapestry woven centuries ago when time was of no consequence. The sky, the soil and the fruit coalesce into an entity that throbs with intensity and a never-ending kaleidoscope of blackberry, earth and leather flavours." HUNTER VALLEY - James Halliday (01 November 2020). This iconic wine is a fitting tribute to the legendary winemaker and Mount Pleasant founder, Maurice O’Shea, one of the most important figures in the modern Australian wine industry. The Maurice O’Shea Shiraz...

Hand picked, destemmed whole berries, open-top small fermenters, nine days on skins, matured in French oak (25% new) for 12 months. Maurice O'Shea didn't waste time in planting the Old Paddock, with its slope and bright volcanic soil. It is a wine of overt structure and texture from ripe tannins, the fruit spectrum dark, the length impressive. It evolves as it sits on the tasting table, opening more doors as the perfume brings spice, licorice and game/charcuterie into play. 98 points. James Halliday Published 06 July 2023

James Halliday Wine Companion 96 points (Campbell Mattinson) "It's not a 'look at me' wine, but it's so beautifully well fruited, balanced and flavoured. This is a seriously good option for the cellar. The tannin is ripped with earth and coffee notes, the fruit is black-cherried and bountiful, it's svelte of texture and sustained through the finish. It's both faultless and characterful and, all things considered, is extremely well priced." TROPHIES (5) 2019 HUNTER VALLEY WINE SHOW Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy / Best Red Wine of Show Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy / Best Shiraz of Show Alexander Munro Trophy...

WINERY NOTE: "This opulent and densely concentrated wine is sourced from the ‘20 Rows’ block within the Borrett family’s Langhorne Creek vineyard. It is vinified in small, open vats, pressed using a traditional basket press and aged for 18 months in new (30-40%) and seasoned, 300-litre American and French oak barrels. It is unashamedly a full-bodied, generously-flavoured wine with annual production between 750 and 850 dozen." - Noon Winery #NOON

Real Review 95 points. Ray Jordan 95 points. Sourced from the subregions of Polish Hill River and Armagh this Shiraz screams Clare Valley. Black olives, liquorice and spice fill the bouquet, while the palate exhibits characteristic of mocha. plum and blackberry fruits.

COLLECTION RECOMMENDED. THESE BOTTLES ARE AGEING PERFECTLY BUT WILL EXPERIENCE SOME SEEPAGE AS A RESULT OF NATURAL HEAT TRANSFERANCE BETWEEN CHILLED STORAGE AND YOUR HOME. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU WISH TO TAKE DELIVERY THIS WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK. WA 95 The outstanding 2004 Shiraz Jimmy Section (100% Shiraz aged in French oak, of which one-third was new) exhibits a big, sweet nose of blackberries, licorice, pepper, and flowers. It’s a stacked and packed, opulent, moderately tannic effort with superb density and richness as well as a multidimensional mouthfeel and persistent finish. It should age beautifully for 10-15 years.RPJ Oct 2005

COLLECTION RECOMMENDED. THESE BOTTLES ARE AGEING PERFECTLY BUT WILL EXPERIENCE SOME SEEPAGE AS A RESULT OF NATURAL HEAT TRANSFERANCE BETWEEN CHILLED STORAGE AND YOUR HOME. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU WISH TO TAKE DELIVERY THIS WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK. WA 92 "The 2007 Jimmy Section Shiraz received the same elevage as the Clarendon bottling and reveals a similar personality but with considerably more fruit. It will profit from several years of cellaring and its outstanding balance makes it a better bet to provide pleasure from 2012 to 2025. Oliverhill is an underrated source for back strapping red wines with plenty of personality. JM...

WINERY NOTE: Single Vineyard Shiraz, fruit sourced from ‘Springs Hill Vineyard’, Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale grown by the Whaite family Dry Grown on Holocene Sand, North/South aspect 205-210m altitude. Planted 1998. A vineyard we both have worked with in previous roles and one we were instantly drawn to for our Shiraz. 2020 is our third release of this single vineyard wine. Hand-picked fruit, wild-fermented in a 132-year-old wax lined concrete open fermenter, 22% whole bunch (foot trodden for tannin extraction from ripe rachis), remainder destemmed. Cold soaked for 5 days, plunged and pumped over during peak of ferment, 13 days...

PRODUCED BY WINEMAKING PIONEERS THE HICKINBOTHAM FAMILY PREVIOUS VINTAGE NUMBER 8 IN WINE ENTHUSIAST BEST VALUE WINES ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST VALUE WINES TASTING NOTES The colour is a dark, inky deep red, almost black with a vibrant garnet hue. The bouquet is lifted and intense with aromas of ripe plum and blackcurrants as well as exhibiting notes of integrated oak, mocha, white pepper and caraway seed. The palate is extremely rich and generous with a labyrinth of dark plum, chocolate, cedar and spice. The subtle and integrated French and American oak tannins add complexity to the secondary notes of the wine and compliment the fruit and...

Paringa is owned by the Hickinbotham family (reknowned for their excellent South Australian vineyards). This is their value driven export label. Paringa Sparkling Shiraz has a saturated deep burgundy color with a crimson hue and an abundance of aromas that include fresh black current preserves, with dark strawberry and blackberry jam that are surrounded by underlying hints of butterscotch, menthol and spice. The palate is lively, refreshing and medium-bodied, comprising of sweet berry fruits, ripe plums and cassis, with hints of chocolate, molasses, caraway seed and fennel. The origin of the “fizz” has ensured that the...

Ray Jordan 92 points "A juicy and vibrant shiraz chock-full of plummy ripe fruit displaying a little spice and damp, earthy characters among the more perfumed exotic notes. The palate has a grainy texture with chalky tannins and a little oak balancing the medium weight fruit. The 30% new oak adds that little extra dab of spice on the finish. Best drinking now to 2028." WINERY NOTES: COLOUR Deep crimson with a purple hue NOSE Elegant perfumed bouquet of bramble fruits and savoury spice. PALATE The palate displays considerable fruit concentration of plum and dark berries. The fine ripe tannins are very well integrated with fruity and...

Cellar Door 150 aud. We are delighted to welcome another 70 year veteran of the Barossa, a winery blessed with some of the most treasured and rare vines, some amongst the oldest in the world; and an extremely limited rendition of their super premium Edel Shiraz which gets all the rock star treatment and even at full retail price has critics praising the value. Here's KG; Another superb Barossa Shiraz – generous, bold, balanced and decadent. Only 25 barrels of this wine were made so do not hesitate as it certainly exceeds the quality of plenty of wines twice the price and more. This is quintessential Barossa Shiraz. Inky dark...

Cellar Door Price 90 Aud. “Includes 3% co-fermented viognier, hand-picked, destemmed, wild-fermented in open 5-tonne pots, basket-pressed to used French barriques for 20 months. A (probably intended exercise comparing the outcome of oak selection) less dense wine, the fruit more obvious thanks to co-fermentation and no new oak. It's still formidable, but moves around the mouth with greater freedom, with an easier texture.” 96 points, James Halliday – Halliday’s Wine Companion.   " This Barossa Shiraz gets a three per cent addition of Viognier which plays its role perfectly, adding spicy aromatics to the...

Cellar Door Price 95 aud. Deep crimson. Classic blackberry, mulberry dark chocolate aromas with black liquorice/ aniseed notes. Saturated dark berry fruits and fine chocolaty textures with underlying roasted chestnut mocha oak.  Finishes chocolaty firm with a lovely bitter-fresh chinotto freshness. Beautiful wine with superb richness and vigour. The bitter-sweet notes add tension and lengthen the finish. 2023- 2032. 97 points. Andrew Caillard, MW - Vintage Journal.   Huon hooke 96 points. James Suckling 96 points.  

Cellar door price 95 aud. Our 2019 ‘The Northing’ Barossa Shiraz is a single vineyard wine, from the a single vineyard from the Marananga parish of the Northern Grounds. The vineyard is planted on red brown earth shot with ironstone in the protected basin that is Marananga on the north western ridge of the Barossa.  A brooding and tightly wound Shiraz that will unfurl its complete depth and plush-ness with time. Benchmark ‘Modern’ Barossa Shiraz. Very deep, dense red/purple/black colouring, the bouquet quiet and reserved, but figuring black pepper and sooty, graphite, earthy notes. The wine is formidably...

Cellar door price 95 aud. Very deep, dense colour, purple-black-red hues, the bouquet reserved and on the quieter side but expressing very appealing dried-herb, ironstone, earthy/ferrous and toasty savoury characteristics. These are translated faithfully onto a full bodied, power-packed palate which is solidly underscored by voluminous tannins. There’s a note of old tractor tannins. There’s a note of old tractor engines! A super-serious wine which is very savoury and structured and promises to reward long cellaring. Cellar 2022 - 2045. 96 points. Huon Hooke - The Real Review . WINE REVIEW 2020 was an interesting vintage in...

Wine Advocate 100 points. "The 2022 Lamella Shiraz has a little secret held within, and it's one not noted on the label. Within this cuvée, is just two barrels of fruit from the Stonegarden Vineyard, the original Lamella Vineyard, before the current Huttonvale Farm. Stonegarden was planted in the Eden Valley in the middle 1800s and is a historic site. The wine rises with Chinotto and blood orange, black tea and pressed flowers. It is, in its quiet way, kaleidoscopic and mottled ... it does not stay still, it gently moves across the palate like sunlight over the course of a day. The long finish speaks of raspberry pip and...

"The 2022 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier contains 2% Viognier skins, and this addition presents in this vintage as a core of raspberry and pomegranate. It is pure fruited and powerfully aromatic, as this cuvee always is. Interestingly, I am tasting this wine from two different glasses: one opened two days ago, one opened this morning. They are quite different, telling us once again that oxygen really is a friend to this producer, especially if choosing to drink these wines young. While the bottle opened two days ago is complete, balanced and utterly refined, it speaks more of its florals and fruit than it does its savory register of spice...

Wine Advocate 98+ points. "I'm excited to taste this, as it was my favorite cuvée last year. It usually changes year to year, given the seasons, and I like that. It's usually the only cuvée to enjoy the benefits of an alternate vessel—a concrete egg—and this year, the 2022 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz joins the Relic and the Standish as well. The impact of the egg in this wine is one of refinement, or so I see it; it retains a purity of fruit at the core, which speaks to the chalky tannins that spool through the finish. They're chewy and seductive and really great. It's a beautiful...

Wine Advocate 96 points. The 2020 The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, in Greenock. The first vintage was 1999. This vintage saw 30% whole bunches in the ferment. It offers notes of red dirt, a bit of blood, salted heirloom tomato and satsuma plum. This is concentrated, compacted, plush, dense and muscular, with notes of ras el’hanout, allspice, torched cinnamon and salted Dutch licorice. This wine is like playing "Magic Eye." There’s a lot going on, but if you relax, a pattern emerges and the detail becomes obvious for all to see. Within the fine but plushly tannic frame, there is...

Wine Advocate 96 points. The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, Greenock, with 30% whole bunches in the ferment. The Standish Shiraz was the first cuvée launched by Dan Standish in 1999, and the wine is routinely typified by its muscular tannin shape and earthy, savory fruit. The most attractive part of this wine is the splay of exotic market spice (namely sumac, black pepper, star anise and fresh cardamom) that sails in on the coattails of the red/purple fruit. It has all the exoticism and romance of a hike through the mountains of Morocco, yet it, perhaps more than any other wine in the collection,...

"The 2022 The Standish Shiraz is again providing me with the opportunity to assess bottles two days apart, and how different they are. The freshly opened bottle, as we would all experience upon our first opening, is tight and fresh, with cracked fennel seed, black peppercorns, cumin and ras el'hanout, then dried blueberries and licorice, hints of arnica and raspberry. It's cool and mineral, with a graphite finish. I cannot overstate how much better the wine tastes after two days. All of the edges smooth out, and it is composed and complete ... what a wine. Balance and harmony in a single swoop. It's savory, though. Super....

To anyone that has met Kym Teusner and Mick Page, it would come as no surprise to discover that Teusner Wines was conceived over a few beers at the local pub. Scratching together a bit of cash, the fruit from an old Barossa vineyard found a new home and Teusner Wines came to life. Teusner’s philosophy comes down to two simple words. Righteous Pleasure. Let the righteous flavours found in the old Barossa vineyards take center stage in the wines and bring pleasure to those that put their hand in their pocket to buy them. It’s a simple approach, but one that has gained Teusner an army of fans and had the commentators and critics...

James Halliday 95 points. The flavours pop up like the plastic clowns at the Easter Show, either to be shot or stunned and lie flat at the end of the moving belt. There is a persistent tune with spicy/savoury/preserve flavours that works very well for me, even if left field. Drink to: 2035; Date Tasted: Sept 2019; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 95 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion. The Barossa Valley vineyard landscape is remarkably diverse. Fortunate to have mates growing grapes all over this place, I’m able to make different wines showcasing many faces of Barossa Valley Shiraz. The Bilmore Shiraz is sourced...

#hedonist

94 points - Wine Companion 2019 Edition, James Halliday, 01 Aug 2018 "Destemmed, wild yeast open-fermented, 14 days on skins, fermentation completed in and 12 months maturation in new French oak, then a further 12 months maturation in used French oak. Deeply coloured; sophisticated winemaking has resulted in a full-bodied shiraz that will be very long lived, feeding on its balance and length, firm tannins that are nonetheless ripe one specific of its many building blocks. Gold medal International Shiraz Challenge '18 no surprise. Great value." Gold Medal - 2018 International Wine Competition. #Hedonist

#hedonist

James Halliday 98 points. "The so-so 2020 vintage had it's problems, but the ancient (1847 planted) vines provided the backbone of this ultra elegant, medium bodied, French oaked shiraz. It's perfect texture and balance nullify the vintage challenge. Bargain. 98 Points Drink to 2045." JH. April, 2024.   Winery Note: Shiraz is a variety that carries great significance in the Barossa Valley and as caretakers for some of the oldest surviving Shiraz vines in the world (dating back to 1847), we take immense pride in crafting this wine. Our highly acclaimed Shiraz has received numerous awards since its first vintage in 1990....

Sparkling Shiraz forms an integral part of the iconic Barossa tradition in viniculture. A celebration of the regions oldest and best loved grape variety, with bubbles to match. Unashamedly festive, sparkling Shiraz is the perfect addition to a holiday lunch or Sunday brunch. Beneath a rich shade of crimson lies at its heart a deep, complex stucture. Full of dried cranberry, cacao, blueberry and cherry. This wine is bold yet dazzling with a mosaic of flavours and a finish to match.   There is something undeniably awesome about sparkling shiraz. It's a uniquely Australian thang. I love that for starters. But just look at that glass!...

Cellar Door Price 80aud. Blewitt Springs sourcing, 12 days on skins, 8 months in French oak. Some of the more delicate varieties and blends suffer from the indomitable oak handling here. But this – dense, burly, rich and brimming with darker fruit tones, licorice strap, smoked meats, clove and alternate spices flowing from attack to finish – relishes it. A unashamedly big wine, of poise, power and precision. Drink to: 2028; Price: $80.00; Rating: 94 Points; Ned Goodwin MW; James Halliday Wine Companion.   Another 2018 McLaren Vale Shiraz from the Ulithorne team – well, why wouldn’t you if you can!...

Cellar Door 150aud. The most distinctive of the Ulithorne Shiraz trio. Whereas the other wines made no attempt to disguise their gentle seduction, this is unapologetically savoury, its superfine tannins not unlike those of nebbiolo. Cloves replace dark chocolate, black berries and black cherries are the Lords of Darkness, or the translation of the Latin name of this wine, 'fruit of the earth'.  Alcohol: 14.5%; Drink by: 2041;  Rating: 97 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday; Wine Companion.     Ulithorne produces small quantities of red wines from selected parcels of grapes from its estate vineyard...

Cellar Door 150aud. Blewitt Springs fruit. Micro-fermented in new and used French wood after hand harvesting. The right portions of each, judging by a finely hewn bridle of tannins, controlling and directing the fray. As far as warm-climate shiraz goes, this is good. Contemporary in terms of lifted florals and a modicum of tension. Avuncular in terms of weight, power and the armchair you'll need to settle into after drinking it....Alcohol: 14.5%; Drink by: 2034;  Rating: 95 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion.     Ulithorne produces small quantities of red wines from selected parcels of grapes from its estate vineyard in...

93 Points - Angus Hughson, The Wine Pilot “Alan Varney sources parcels of fruit from McLaren and the Adelaide Hills for his newish range – the Shiraz coming from a combination of the two. It feels much more like your classic McLaren Vale with its bright, deep ruby colour and then robust, generously fruited style. The aromas are in the blackberry, tar and leather spectrum with a dusting of spice and red liquorice coming in to add attractive delicacy. That fleshy fruit is then joined by a chewy, slightly rustic palate where sinewy tannins and cedary oak provide a firm backbone. It drinks well now, and is quite a serious version of...

The apex of Wynns' Shiraz releases. Deeply coloured, it is still too young to enjoy, the oak, and the tannins in particular, are very obvious. A mere 5 more years will give you a wine to be enjoyed for the next 30+ years. In the meantime French oak, glorious black fruits and modest alcohol may be too much for some. 97 points. James Halliday Published 30 June 2021.   Michael Shiraz is Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s best-of-vintage Shiraz. The fruit used for this wine comes from the best vineyard sites in Coonawarra and is only made in years when the best quality fruit is available. The first Michael (then called Michael Hermitage)...