Winemaker Notes
Very firm and young with overt lifted black and blue fruits such as blackberry, blueberry compote and milk chocolate, with graphite and mineral like complexity from granite and schist soils in the Eden Valley. The full bodied and silken textured mouthfeel exhibits plushness of fruit along with mouth coating ripe Shiraz tannins that are full yet soft. The oak is barely noticeable and will give way after a year or two in bottle to its density and freshness of fruit.
Serve with steak frittes, Texas bbq ribs, or char sui pork.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The black ink and lead pencil aromas are impressive with blackberry and raspberry aromas that are intense and fresh. Full-bodied, blackberry, blueberry and crushed stone. Flavorful and chewy. Lots of center palate here. Wow. This needs time to soften. Great structure and length. Better after 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
If ever there was a high-octane vintage in the Barossa, it would be 2020. Warm and the second in a row of drought conditions, yields were down as much as 70% in some areas. So, to look at this inky black 2020 The Struie in the glass, the year that birthed it makes sense. As ever, a blend of Barossa and Eden, with cigar box, tobacco leaf, blackberries, mulberries, salted licorice and more density of tannin than you can poke a stick at. In the mouth, the texture is velvety and plush; however, the tannins need air to help them release the fruit as we know they will. Decant it or risk missing the best this has to offer. I would say this also: this kind of wine is what made Barossa (and by extension, Australia) famous, and the modern iteration of it here shows the big, muscly style is still valid and exciting, especially when executed with this kind of nuance and detail. Really impressive.
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Wine Enthusiast
The Struie blends both Barossa and Eden Valley fruit for a rich, high-octane Shiraz destined for the cellar. There’s a nose-full of plump plum and blackberry and savory, earthy spices (think ground pepper, bay leaf and mocha), with an underbelly of violets and charred-root vegetable. The palate is plush yet structured, with a touch of alcohol heat showing. Spicy, granular tannins are mighty and muscular, framing the glossy fruit. Best after 2025.
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Wine Spectator
Complex and aromatic, showcasing sandalwood, cedar and intense blueberry flavors. Delivers white pepper, mineral and dried herbal details, with malty black Assam tea and a touch of amber on the supple finish. Drink now.
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.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.