Wine Enthusiast Reviews Stellar Australian Shiraz
Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide
December 2016
94 pts/CELLAR SELECTION John Duval Eligo Shiraz 2013
Full bodied, creamy and lush, this is a prototypical Barossa Valley Shiraz from a longtime master of the variety. Smoke, cedar, mulberry and eucalyptus notes mingle easily on the nose, while savory notes of roasted meat and dried herb blend seamlessly into the fruit, ending long, velvety and rich.
92 pts John Duval Entity Shiraz 2013
This is an earthy, savory style of Shiraz, with modest berry and plum fruit wrapped into a blanket of firm but silky tannins. Ample length and structure separates this from the rest of the pack.
91 pts/EDITORS’ CHOICE d’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2012
This is made in an earthy-savory style, offering hints of roasted meat, black olives and espresso. It’s also firmly constructed, with firm tannins that suggest a couple of years of cellar time would do it some good. Drink 2018 through 2025.
91 pts/EDITORS’ CHOICE d’Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz 2012
Muscular and slightly austere, this wine does offer attractive notes of mint and blueberry. Some meaty nuances creep in, adding welcome complexity. Although firm, it’s approachable now, yet should age well through 2025.
91 pts/EDITORS’ CHOICE Penley Estate Hyland Shiraz 2013
Mouthfilling and round, this wine’s savory notes of roasted meat, mocha and cracked pepper frame plummy fruit. Vanilla creeps in on the long, supple finish. Drink now through 2025.
91 pts Penley Estate Special Select Shiraz 2012
You’ve got to like oak to appreciate this wine, which is presently dominated by scents of vanilla, mocha and toasted coconut. It’s full bodied and velvety in texture, with hints of black cherry lurking in the background.
91 pts Brokenwood Area Blend Shiraz 2013
A blend of McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley and Beechworth fruit went into this bottling, and the components have knit together well. The wine is sappy and floral on the nose, and silky-textured on the palate, loaded with raspberry and blueberry fruit and ample peppery spice. Drink now through 2020+.
90 pts/CELLAR SELECTION Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2013
Despite being only medium bodied, this is a firmly tannic, structured wine. Subtle French oak scents of cedar and vanilla accent mixed berry fruit, while the finish is youthful, crisp and unyielding. This needs a minimum of two more years in the cellar. Drink 2018 through 2025.
90 pts d’Arenberg The Derelict Vineyard Grenache 2010
Peppers and cloves accent cherry-berry fruit on the nose of this single vineyard wine. On the palate, it’s full bodied and deep and silky in texture, with a long spice-inflected finish.