Shaw and Smith Shiraz 2022

A power of fruit and a power of spices. This is an excellent release. Sweet plums, smoked meats, black peppers and an array of cedar, bunchy herbs, stalk and toast characters. Tannin curls impressively through the back half of the wine; it feels both plush and fresh throughout; and while it’s definitely peppery (and floral) it’s the plummy, boysenberried fruit flavours that drive it. This is bang on excellent."

Deep, dark red-purple with black tints, the bouquet quite whole-bunchy with humus, spice and root vegetable aromas, the palate intense and concentrated with sustained flavour and finely balanced powdery tannins that run long to an extended finish. A powerful yet elegant shiraz drinking well now but with a long life in front of it.

This is delightful. It opens with an expectation: game meat, white pepper, raspberry, tart cherry, some dried herbs and a whiff of truffle. Savouriness and pretty fruit hand in hand. It delivers on the palate, satiny tannins wrap up more of those fruit and savoury elements, game meat and pepper a strong card but beautifully woven through red fruits and sweeter spices. Ribbons of those tannins trail long through the palate; a light dusting of spice lingers. It's spot-on medium weight, too. So much charm.