Woven between the fresh dark cherry and black-currant fruit is something more meaty and ferrous, with warm pavement, olive tapenade and a bouquet garni of herbs. The palate is still fairly tightly wound, keeping cards close to the chest while still offering lovely freshness, satiny texture, supple fruit and fine-grained tannins that set this up for lovely evolution in the bottle over the next several decades. Yangarra Estate Vineyard. Cellar Selection. Points: 96/100
Very deep, concentrated purple-red colour with a sweet blackberry pastille aroma betraying very sweet, superripe fruit which is there in abundance on palate, swaddled in layers of powdery, drying tannins. Very rich, opulent and sweet fruited, loaded with ageing potential. A decadent shiraz! Points: 96/100
A rich and opulent shiraz which has been made without the addition of pressings. It’s an approach to retain the life and effortlessness of the fruit while losing nothing in fruit power and intensity. Has slightly more oak than others yet the fruit intensity and concentration laps it up with ease. Grainy minerally mouth feel of perfect balance. Points: 97/100
Fermented with 25% whole bunches; matured in French puncheons for seven months (35% new), then transferred to Austrian and French foudre for 12 months. The sandy ironstone soil is the key driver here, with a lilting fragrance combined with rocky ferrous notes, blackberry, blueberry, tar, tapenade, anise, iodine and a briary herbal complexity. Oak is well integrated, though more time is needed to cohere in general, as this is fashioned to age, and it will do so impressively. Points: 96/100
Fermented with 25% whole bunches; matured in French puncheons for seven months (35% new), then transferred to Austrian and French foudre for 12 months. The sandy ironstone soil is the key driver here, with a lilting fragrance combined with rocky ferrous notes, blackberry, blueberry, tar, tapenade, anise, iodine and a briary herbal complexity. Oak is well integrated, though more time is needed to cohere in general, as this is fashioned to age, and it will do so impressively. Points: 96/100
This wine has a fuller body and more obvious extract than its elegant King's Wood sibling. Firmer tannins, too. There are heady aromas of violets, licorice, charcuterie and boysenberries. There is a hint of reduction and barrel-ferment smokiness marking the mid-palate, but this is a classy, polished shiraz with immense flavors and personality. It is clearly built for the mid-term cellar. In '22 this shiraz may well be the superior variety from this site. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. Points: 96/100
Intense and deep ruby with a rich purple rim. Mulberry, black pepper and nori aromatics. Weighty and powerful with intense blue fruits wrapped by fine gravel tannins that accentuate dark minerality and black spice notes. Very long and focused right to the end, a hint of acidity lifts and fans out the finish. Serious gear this. Points: 95/100
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