Sorby Adams HandCrafted Shiraz Montepulciano 2022

The montepulciano grape adds a savoury, characterful depth that balances the generous dark fruit and warmth typical of Barossa Shiraz. While Shiraz provides the plush, full-bodied richness, the montepulciano contributes complexity and prevents the wine from becoming overly fruit-forward. This Italian variety is known for its earthy, structured character, making each sip more engaging and adding layers that pure Shiraz blends often lack.

With serious oak maturation providing structure and the robust nature of both Shiraz and Montepulciano varietals, this wine has genuine cellaring potential beyond typical young reds. The full-bodied palate weight and integrated tannins suggest it will develop beautifully over 5-8 years, allowing the savoury elements to emerge further while the dark fruit characteristics evolve into more complex secondary flavours. The 2022 vintage benefits from South Australia's excellent growing conditions that year.

This refers to the wine's substantial alcohol content and intense flavour concentration typical of premium Barossa Valley reds. The full-bodied palate weight delivers powerful dark fruit flavours, spice, and warmth that can be overwhelming if you're expecting a lighter style. The serious oak maturation adds another layer of intensity, creating a wine that demands attention and pairs best with equally robust foods rather than delicate dishes.

The rich, full-bodied character with blackberry, plum, and spice notes makes this ideal for hearty red meats like grilled lamb, beef steaks, or slow-cooked game. The savoury depth from the montepulciano component also complements aged cheeses, charcuterie, and Mediterranean dishes with herbs and olives. The wine's structure and oak integration can handle bold flavours and rich sauces that might overpower lighter reds.

HandCrafted typically indicates small-batch production with hands-on winemaking techniques rather than large-scale commercial methods. For producers like Sorby Adams, this often means careful grape selection, traditional fermentation processes, and personalised attention throughout production. The serious oak maturation mentioned suggests extended barrel aging with regular monitoring, resulting in wines with more individual character and complexity than mass-produced alternatives.