SA Wine Guide 2025

Sieger Estate Frederick BLK 777 Barossa Shiraz 2021

Soul Growers Hampel Single Vineyard Shiraz 2022

G 95

G 95

The fruit here hails from 40-year-old vines, while the wine spent a year-and-a-half maturing in French oak. 2021 is a cracking vintage for the region. Dark magenta in colour, there is real concentration here, with notes of mocha, coffee beans, chocolate, plums and black fruits – a classic and compelling Barossa Shiraz. The wine has richness and depth, and is surely one of the better wines I have seen from these guys. It is dense but dancing and it is impossible not to love the rich plushness. There is early complexity evident too, along with fine balance and great length. A 10-year proposition. Drink now–2034 Sons of Eden Remus Old Vine Shiraz 2021 G 95 Deep crimson. Lifted blackberry boysenberry aromas with praline notes. Deep-set blackberry pastille, blackcurrant, boysenberry fruits, chocolaty tannins, some dark chocolate notes and fresh linear acidity. Deliciously balanced wine with lovely volume and torque. Drink now–2032 Sons of Eden Cirrus Riesling 2022 G 95 Pale colour, straw hue. Elegantly perfumed lime curd, wet slate, tonic water with hints of verbena and waxy oil skin. Well concentrated wine with indelible acidity of pure lemon, lime, and tonic water flavours. Superb mineral length and a delightful chalky finish. 12.5% alc Drink now–2034

Medium-deep crimson. Lovely blackberry, liquorice, touch marzipan, malt aromas. Inky deep and flowing with fresh blackberry, dark cherry, dark plum fruits, fine, slinky, yet sinuous tannins and beautifully integrated marzipan, vanilla, malt notes. Finishes claret firm with pastille fruit notes. 14.5% alc Drink now–2034 St Hallett Wines Old Block Shiraz 2021 G 95 Deep crimson. Pure blackberry, blackcurrant, mocha, espresso aromas. Richly flavoured yet elegantly styled with fresh blackberry pastille, praline flavours, long fine chalky tannins, attractive mid-palate volume and well integrated mocha, hint spice notes. Claret firm with cedar notes at the finish. 14.5% alc Drink now–2038 St Hugo Wines Fabal Shiraz 2022 G 95 Deep crimson. Intense dark cherry blackberry dark chocolate aromas with herb garden aniseed notes. Lovely inky deep vigorous wine with plentiful pure cherry, blackberry, mulberry fruits, fine gravelly firm textures and well-balanced mocha/ praline notes. Finishes graphite firm with aniseed/liquorice nuances. Single

vineyard wine. Drink 2025–2035 Tarrawatta Wines Ambervale Grenache 2021

G 95

Medium-deep crimson. Perfumed violet, strawberry, plum aromas with aniseed notes. Chocolaty textured, and viscous with plentiful red berry flavours, a touch of roasted walnut, toasty notes, lovely inky density and long indelible aniseed notes. Really lovely richness, complexity and flow. 14.7% alc Drink now–soon Tarrawatta Wines Ambervale Shiraz 2021 G 95 Deep crimson. Roasted coffee, blackberry, dark chocolate aromas with lifted chinotto notes. Richly flavoured blackberry, espresso, mocha, dark chocolate flavours, fine chocolaty, touch rusty/ferruginous textures and fresh mineral/graphite nuances. Finishes firm and long with peppery/chinotto characters. Very attractive wine with

Sorby Adams Arago Cabernet Shiraz 2019

G 95

Deep crimson. Intense blackberry, roasted walnut, wax polish aromas. Buoyant and tangy with ample blackberry, dark chocolate flavours, dense chalky/chocolaty textures, some roasted walnut, vanilla notes and well-balanced crispy acidity. Drinking well with a nice balance of primary and secondary notes. 14% alc Drink now–2030 Sorby Adams The Parish Hall St Boniface Shiraz 2021 G 95 The final wine in the Parish trilogy/tribute to Great Uncle Keith, this one saw its 2-year maturation take place in American oak. The fruit is from the Kalimna and Ebenezer sub-regions in the Barossa, famous names. Purple maroon in colour, the nose is redolent with both red and black fruits, plums, chocolate, spices, warm earth and black olives. This is finely crafted, utterly seamless with a flick of oak, but it is well integrated with the palate offering gorgeous molten notes of chocolate – all very Barossa. This is delicious and will surely be so for at least the next decade. My only quibble is that the team have suggested a food pairing involving celeriac, which makes one wonder what on earth the wine did to offend them. For me, cracking drinking and even better if one avoids celeriac. Drink now–2034

lovely density and flow. 14.9% alc Drink now–2034 The Standish Wine Company The Schubert Theorem Shiraz 2022

G 95

Deep crimson. Blackberry, graphite, liquorice, marzipan, ginger aromas and flavours with some panforte notes. Buoyant and vigorous with fresh chocolaty textures and well integrated marzipan, vanilla notes. Finishes chewy and minerally. A lovely wine. 14.9% alc Drink 2026–2033

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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus

South Australia 2024

93

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