Shirvington's 2008 Shiraz gives a deep garnet-purple color and intense notes of warm black cherries and black raspberries over anise chocolate box allspice and vanilla pod. Very full-bodied and concentrated with 16% declared alcohol this is a big mouthful yet well balanced with crisp acidity and medium-firm fine tannins finishing long. Approachable now it should blossom with another couple of years in bottle and drink through 2020+. -Lisa Perrotti-Brown

2008 McLaren Vale Shiraz Shirvington is a relatively new project in McLaren Vale the first vineyard planted in 1996 the first wine released in 2001. It's made by Kim Jackson (direct from S&S Marquis) who ferments it in a high proportion of new oak a challenge that the fruit is prepared to meet head on. Oak softens some of the juicy blueberry fruit and mineral power but not enough to polish away the florals or the iron edge. It smells old fashioned and feels new fangled until the wine eats its oak with a day of air and the classic side of McLaren prevails.

Full-bodied and creamy-textured this is a big (16% abv) yet beautiful example of McLaren Vale Shiraz with ample toast and vanilla from oak maturation balanced by bold raspberry fruit and plenty of meaty savory complexity. The long supple finish suggests a drinking window from now through 2016. - J.C.