2020 Ironheart Shiraz

Drink now to 2043. Certified Organic/Biodynamic with ‘Australian Certified Organic’. 20% whole bunch, 30% whole berry and 50% crushed. A complete wine. Savory, perfectly ripe fruit spills from the glass. Salted plum, nori, bresaola, red plum, pickled beets, Dutch liquorice, black cardamon, dried violets and crimson florals, tuberose, cinnamon quill and crackling 99% dark chocolate. Phew, there is so much going on here, every sip and every sniff draws out more of the picture and adds a piece of the puzzle to the finished story. Dried ocean spray grazing sun-kissed skin. Absolute velvet on the palate, prickled with whole black peppercorns and a life-inducing acidity. Gravelly ironstone, edging towards a ferrous centre. An inspired wine, perfectly balanced. Resplendent with fine boned, silky tannins and concentrated, yet elegant and perfumed fruit. Sublime. Words don’t do this justice.

Hand picked and fermented in open-tops replete with 30% whole berries, albeit, no bunches; 21 days on skins. Blackcurrant, raspberry, mint, anise and lilac. No aggressive punch downs or pump overs. This is a refined wine boasting a meander of sinewy tannins, like a songline across the palate. It doesn't play any cards not dealt, the inherent freshness derived from organic principles and impeccable fruit quality, glimpsing a southern Rhône-style, despite the variety.

If you are drinking this Yangarra Estate Ironheart then you are zeroing in on the apex of McLaren Vale Shiraz. It's always a superbly crafted wine and this 2020 release is no different. Made with 20% whole bunches, 30% whole berries and 50% crushed, it underwent wild yeast fermentation and sat on lees for 16 months in large format one year old French oak. A flurry of baked berry pie and blueberry aromas race from the glass. Silky, it glides along with melted chocolate like feels. Earthy tones and some minerality weave their way into the fabric of the delicately spiced dark berries and plums. A flash of mocha adds detail as do whispers of oak but they are integrated cleverly at this early stage. Long and super sophisticated, this is a classy McLaren Vale Shiraz. Decant to enjoy now but this will cellar beyond a decade. 

This is an open and focused red with blackberry, cloves and dried flowers. Pencil shavings, too. Some black cherry. Medium to full body, firm and balanced, fresh and bright. Peppery. Flavorful and savory. Open for this wine already. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Ruby red and very youthful in the glass. Heady, dark fruited aromas of mulberry and plum intertwined with licorice, sweet spice and clovey oak. Plush and mouth-filling. There’s real power and presence in the dark fruited richness, balanced out nicely by textured, structured tannins and spot-on acidity. A wine of power, presence and lovely balance.

Quite a ferrous, inky number, broad shoulders but pristine in a way, definition, but a total lushness and submission to McLaren Vale’s shiraz asset and inherent personality. Chewy tannins in a slosh of choc-berry, liquorice, not-quite young portiness, kirsch and a blueberry fruitiness. Silky, also. Liqueur like finish, warm-ish, soft, slick. It’s an honest wine with plenty of smooth moves and warmth. Big puff of ripe fruit, kirsch and sweet earth in the bouquet with a whiff of warm bitumen. Does the trick, and well.