Winemaker Notes
This is a complex, finely-textured Shiraz that expresses the conditions of each vintage and the character of a unique vineyard site. It is fragrant and lifted, showing a mineral graphite edge. It is structured with firm tannins, making it good for aging. It pairs well with osso buco.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The fruit for this 2020 Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz is, as the name suggests, from the Balhannah vineyard, which was planted in 2005. Balhannah, for those who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the Adelaide Hills region, is an area within the Adelaide Hills GI, north of Hahndorf. The vineyard is at 380 meters above sea level and is north facing. When I was there in 2022, the vineyard was undergoing layering (a method to increase the density of the plantings of vines. In the mouth, the wine speaks clearly of its whole bunches, which bring an exoticism and chalkiness to the wine. These notes will subdue over time and ensure that the wine remains detailed and complex as it ages. It smells of light fruitcake (the dense, spicy kind), and it is textural, chalky and lingering. The tannins hold the fruit in stasis and encourage it to pace itself out over the long finish. There are notes of clove, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, sultana, vanilla pod, black tea, cassis and blueberry compote. There is plenty of fruit here in the short term, but I wager this will be at its apogee some time in the future. I'd consider it from 2025 onward. If you are restless in the meantime, try the estate Shiraz.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Spectator
Polished, juicy and bright, with a mouthwatering mix of cherry, blood orange, pomegranate and kirsch flavors. Details of oolong tea, dried fennel seed, raspberry puree and sage add complexity. Bright notes of red licorice are what leave a lasting impression on the finish. Drink now through 2034. 30 cases imported.
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.”
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.