Staff Picks - Shiraz Edition

You know Powell & Son. Their Barossa Shiraz 'The Blend', is the most popular we've ever sold - and if you've had it, you already understand why Dave Powell has one of the most respected names in Australian wine. This is a different conversation entirely. The Marananga Ironstone is where Powell & Son shift into another gear completely. We're going right to the top-shelf with this one! That classic Powell philosophy - traditional techniques, old concrete fermenters, basket pressing, minimal intervention - but applied to one of the most prized vineyard sites in the entire Barossa. The kind of fruit that makes even experienced winemakers stop and take notice. The result is Barossa Shiraz of extraordinary depth and presence. Dark plum, black cherry and blackberry at the core, with a richness and concentration that fills every corner of the palate and a svelte, mouth-coating tannin structure that gives it both immediate impact and serious cellaring potential. This is the style that put Australian wine on the world stage - opulent, intense and completely unique.

It's hard to justify even writing this tasting note, as it'll all be sold out by them time anyone gets a chance to read it. In any case, the wine: blueberries and black cherries over vanilla, eucalypt, and sweet spice. Liquorice and fruit compote follow neatly, deftly behind the initial fruit burst. Among many things, this wine is further proof of the superiority of the stelvin closure as opposed to cork for ageing cool climate reds. This is wine made with the cellar in mind. It is just now hitting its stride, and what a stride it is. The fruit is remarkably fresh, but no aged characteristics like leather, wet earth and game have been sacrificed whatsoever. The density of the fruit is framed by maturity without being swamped by it, and the wine is able to hold its form through a lasting finish. This is truly a deal to jump at, and one you won't see again.

Grown in Stonewell, right in the heart of the Barossa, from a block that's been delivering the goods since 2016, year after year. This is a full colour, full flavour Barossa Shiraz, with a mineral edge running underneath that gives it its own identity rather than just ticking the regional boxes. Violets, black cherry and cracked pepper run through a savoury palate, backed by chalky tannins and an uncommon vibrancy that keeps it all ticking along to a finish that hangs around a lot longer than you'd expect. A bit of wild ferment and a light hand in the winery keep everything focused on what the fruit and the site are actually saying, nothing dressed up, nothing hidden behind sluggish, overdone oak. A pure Barossa wine for Barossa purists.