The Hillside Shiraz was sourced from the best west-facing hillside Marananga block, right in the heart of Barossa. Aged in French and American oak for at least 18 months, this wine is crafted to last the distance and is to be enjoyed in life's finer moments.
Bottled without fining or filtration (Vegan Friendly).
96 Points Wine Orbit - Gracefully rich and opulent, the wine shows blackberry, dark plum, cinnamon, vanillin oak, and potpourri aromas on the nose. The concentrated palate offers excellent depth and richly textured mouthfeel, wonderfully complemented by layers of silky tannins, finishing impressively long and sturdy. At its best: now to 2040.
95++ PointsKim Berbach - It’s as closed as a bank vault at this time, but there’s clearly a lot going on inside: rich red and blue berry fruits polished with fine French oak to start with. After a couple of days in the opened bottle, there are hints of leather, licorice, chocolate and coffee on a backbone of fine-grained tannin, long, smooth and tight. Built for future glory; needs a few years to open up, and then a few more to reach its full potential.
93 Points Winepilot Ken Gargett - The fruit used here comes from the heart of the Barossa Valley, a west-facing hillside vineyard in the Marananga sub-region. Maturation was for a year and a half in a mixture of American and French oak. The colour is a vibrant purple, promising much. This is full throttle black-fruited, but with a well-crafted overlay of oak. There are aromas of dried herbs, plums, mocha, mulberries, chocolate, coffee beans and graphite. A smooth and seductive palate with concentration and power. Tight as a drum at the moment, but one senses it is keen to burst out and show all its glories. Very good length with silky tannins and a lingering finish. Ten to twelve years.
93 Points Halliday Wine Companion - Sees 18 months in a mix of French and American oak. This Marananga-born shiraz immediately shows deep blackberry, black cherry and cassis with brown spice, dark chocolate, panforte, espresso, licorice and earth. Fruit pure with the grip of fine, sandy tannins, there is a decade of cellaring here and a distinct western Barossa stamp to its structure.
93 Points The Real Review - A youthful and deep, dark red in appearance. Heady aromas of stewed plum, pudding spice, dried herbs, dark chocolate, bramble and sweet oak. Fleshy, mouth-filling, plush and juicy. Dark, brooding fruits, plush oak and powdery, textured tannins are at the core. There's a decent amount of acidity keeping things fresh and the length is impressive. Power and opulence on display.
92 Points Wine Advocate - The 2023 Hillside Shiraz is plush and earthy, with a little metallic pinch through the finish. The fruit leans toward mulberry, raspberry, licorice and star anise, with clove and pencil shavings to close. The fruit here, as in previous vintages, is gorgeous—packed with flavor and intensity—and the oak feels more subtle than in previous years (although the wine is still aged in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months, so perhaps it is more of a vintage characteristic rather than dramatic change to oak regime). And that is a great thing. As the wine sits in the glass, it opens up, however it still moves into a focused and tight close at the finish. Perhaps time will loosen this up.
The Hillside Shiraz was sourced from the best west-facing hillside Marananga block, right in the heart of Barossa. Aged in French and American oak for at least 18 months, this wine is crafted to last the distance and is to be enjoyed in life's finer moments.
Bottled without fining or filtration (Vegan Friendly).
96 Points Wine Orbit - Gracefully rich and opulent, the wine shows blackberry, dark plum, cinnamon, vanillin oak, and potpourri aromas on the nose. The concentrated palate offers excellent depth and richly textured mouthfeel, wonderfully complemented by layers of silky tannins, finishing impressively long and sturdy. At its best: now to 2040.
95++ PointsKim Berbach - It’s as closed as a bank vault at this time, but there’s clearly a lot going on inside: rich red and blue berry fruits polished with fine French oak to start with. After a couple of days in the opened bottle, there are hints of leather, licorice, chocolate and coffee on a backbone of fine-grained tannin, long, smooth and tight. Built for future glory; needs a few years to open up, and then a few more to reach its full potential.
93 Points Winepilot Ken Gargett - The fruit used here comes from the heart of the Barossa Valley, a west-facing hillside vineyard in the Marananga sub-region. Maturation was for a year and a half in a mixture of American and French oak. The colour is a vibrant purple, promising much. This is full throttle black-fruited, but with a well-crafted overlay of oak. There are aromas of dried herbs, plums, mocha, mulberries, chocolate, coffee beans and graphite. A smooth and seductive palate with concentration and power. Tight as a drum at the moment, but one senses it is keen to burst out and show all its glories. Very good length with silky tannins and a lingering finish. Ten to twelve years.
93 Points Halliday Wine Companion - Sees 18 months in a mix of French and American oak. This Marananga-born shiraz immediately shows deep blackberry, black cherry and cassis with brown spice, dark chocolate, panforte, espresso, licorice and earth. Fruit pure with the grip of fine, sandy tannins, there is a decade of cellaring here and a distinct western Barossa stamp to its structure.
93 Points The Real Review - A youthful and deep, dark red in appearance. Heady aromas of stewed plum, pudding spice, dried herbs, dark chocolate, bramble and sweet oak. Fleshy, mouth-filling, plush and juicy. Dark, brooding fruits, plush oak and powdery, textured tannins are at the core. There's a decent amount of acidity keeping things fresh and the length is impressive. Power and opulence on display.
92 Points Wine Advocate - The 2023 Hillside Shiraz is plush and earthy, with a little metallic pinch through the finish. The fruit leans toward mulberry, raspberry, licorice and star anise, with clove and pencil shavings to close. The fruit here, as in previous vintages, is gorgeous—packed with flavor and intensity—and the oak feels more subtle than in previous years (although the wine is still aged in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months, so perhaps it is more of a vintage characteristic rather than dramatic change to oak regime). And that is a great thing. As the wine sits in the glass, it opens up, however it still moves into a focused and tight close at the finish. Perhaps time will loosen this up.
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