Shiraz from the two oldest blocks on our Rayner Vineyard - the 1950 and 1960 plantings. The 1950 block is dry-grown on deep sandy soils with ironstone rocks, this gives wonderful fragrance and an elegant structure. The 1960 planting is in shallow clay on limestone base, this gives the bones - the structure around the pretty flesh. Limited release.
2022 Vintage -
95 points – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“Blueberry, blackberry, mint and sage, seaweed, some liquorice and biscuit spice. It’s full-bodied, but only just, saline and savoury, black olive, sweet blue and black fruit, raspberry ripple, ripe fine-grained but insistent tannin, oyster shell and cool peppermint, it’s thoroughly regional but has depth and presence. Lots to like here, and it feels classic McLaren Vale in character, though turned out with a light and deft touch in the winery. Ripe tannin rolls out the red raspberry carpet on a finish of fine length.”
95 points, Ned Goodwin MW, jamessuckling.com
“Among the finest shiraz in the Vale, with the meager volume, subsequent concentration and tannic delivery of 2022 serving the plush, aromatic, full-bodied style well. Boysenberries, anise, pepper and ferrous tannins, forceful without compromising the tenacious, juicy flow of the fruit. Textbook Vale shiraz.”
95 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
“Dense and inky core, deep purple at the rim. Mulberry, clove, iodine, and mocha aromas. Dense and weighty with plush blue and purple fruits driving the core. The fruit sits fresh and lively though, alongside clove and vanilla spices, with a deep iodine ferrous undercurrent. Fine grained tannins keep it rolling along and it finishes very long. It has a classic Vale plushness but without overworking the fruit. Honestly, a bargain at the price.”
2021 Vintage -
TOP 100 WINES OF AUSTRALIA - 2022, James Halliday (The Weekend Australian)
97 points
”Deep, brooding crimson-purple. This is a reproduction of variety and place of the highest quality. It’s velvet in the mouth, and mines all the black fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and spice hoped for. The tannins are polished, the oak absorbed by the fruit.”
This wine is available on our Allocations List program, where you can subscribe to receive an annual allocation of this and/or some of our other wines. For more information please click here.
