2017 Paringa Estate Shiraz, Mornington Peninsula

Sourced from vineyards across the peninsula, fruit co-fermented with 5% viognier and aged 11 months in seasoned French oak barriques and while the label says ‘a lively fruit driven regional style' it's by no means fruity, it's really savoury and peppery. Lighter weighted but plenty of raspy tannins, dark fruits and layers of spice. Good drinking now.

92 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Paringa Estate Shiraz is one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most distinctive and characterful reds, a wine that shows just how compelling Shiraz can be in a cool maritime climate. The vineyards sit on Paringa Estate’s steep, north facing slopes overlooking Port Phillip Bay, where volcanic soils mixed with sandy loam, strong coastal breezes and cool nights slow ripening and preserve natural acidity. This is a far cry from warm climate Shiraz, producing a style built on spice, savoury detail and structure rather than sheer weight or sweetness.

Paringa Estate was founded in the late 1980s by Lindsay McCall, one of the true pioneers of the Mornington Peninsula. McCall is known for his uncompromising approach and belief that great wine is made in the vineyard, even if that means accepting lower yields and higher risk. He farms these dramatic slopes largely by hand, harvesting for flavour and phenolic ripeness rather than sugar levels. Shiraz has always been a passion project at Paringa, handled with the same intensity and attention as the estate’s celebrated Pinot Noir. In the cellar, the wine is made with confident but controlled extraction and thoughtful oak use, allowing the peppery, savoury character of cool climate Shiraz to shine through.

In the glass Paringa Estate Shiraz shows a deep crimson colour with purple highlights. Aromas are complex and expressive, offering black cherry, dark plum and blueberry layered with cracked black pepper, clove, dried herbs and a subtle earthy, ferrous note. The palate is medium to full bodied, tightly structured and energetic, delivering dark fruits, savoury spice and fine, persistent tannins carried by bright acidity. There is a real sense of tension and drive, making it superb with roast lamb, grilled meats, game and mushroom dishes. It also rewards time in the cellar, evolving over ten to fifteen years toward notes of leather, smoked meat and spice.

Paringa Estate Shiraz is a confident and individual expression of Mornington Peninsula terroir, combining spice, savoury depth and structure in a style that feels both distinctly regional and unmistakably Paringa.