Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
A sumptuous wine that manages to hold its cards of spice and flamboyant fruits close to a chest of riches. Unirrigated blocks contribute. 50% of the cuve was crushed to open-tops, resplendent with 20% whole bunches; 20 days on skins, extended time on lees and élévage in both new and used puncheons, before a blending of the best to a foudre and concrete egg. This sits on a diplomatic cushion between the Rhône-inflected contemporary styles that splay pepper, clove and blue fruits about the mouth, and a richer, more lustrous regional note. The tannins etch the cheeks and wind down the side of the tongue, keeping to the path of righteousness. Fine indeed.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich, polished and immediately likable, this vintage of Brook's Road is beautifully perfumed with succulent blueberries, thyme, florals and savory spice. The supple, silky primary fruit leads on the palate, but is structured within a frame of fine-grained tannins. Still a baby, this should evolve beautifully over the next several decades.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Dense, succulent and powerful, with Dutch cocoa powder, sarsaparilla, toffee and fresh rosemary accents to the core of lush black cherry, blackberry and blueberry flavors. Presents plush and velvety tannins, which provide a supple frame for this red's complexity and power. Drink now through 2039.
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James Suckling
Aromas of crushed plums, blackberries, ground clove and grilled rosemary. Forest. Mushroom. Bark. Leafy. Full-bodied with slightly chewy tannins. Lovely density and concentration here with the fruit remaining fresh and succulent throughout. Subtle, but complex spice and herbs as well. Delicious. Best after 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This 2020 Brooks Road Shiraz is littered with rendered lamb fat, BBQ char, clove bud and licorice on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is defined by red fruit, and it is savory and fine. This is not at all a big wine. It is medium-bodied and carries its fruit and freshness well. Much of this cuvée is from the 1971 plantings outside the house I am sitting in right now (in Clarendon). Saline acidity curves through the fruit, and the tannins shape the course of the finish. Lovely wine. Classy. (The plus sign in the score relates to the fact that I am sitting here also tasting the 2014 alongside, and if anything, it's a better wine, as it has gained momentum in the spice and character department; so, it follows that this wine will only improve in time.)
Rating: 94+
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.