2021 Craiglee Shiraz, Sunbury

An excellent dark red shot with purple. Restrained aromas with charry oak and hot bitumen, then a faint flutter of baking spices and florals follow. Lots of secondary flavours making an impact with lashings of sweet and toasty, cedary oak infusing the fuller-bodied palate, soy sauce, charred radicchio, some aniseed and pops of squishy plums, too. Then firm if gritty tannins to close.

93 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion

The Craiglee Shiraz from Sunbury is one of Australia’s most treasured cool-climate reds, renowned for its elegance, restraint and extraordinary ageing potential. First planted in the 1860s and revived by winemaker Patrick Carmody in the 1970s, Craiglee is a small, family-run vineyard that has built a cult following for its distinctive Shiraz. The basalt soils and breezy, temperate climate of Sunbury, just outside Melbourne, provide the perfect conditions for a style that is more akin to Northern Rhône Syrah than the bold, ripe Shiraz often associated with Australia.

In the glass it is a deep garnet with purple hues. The nose is perfumed and complex, showing black cherry, mulberry and plum alongside white pepper, violets, dried herbs and subtle earthy notes. The palate is medium-bodied and finely structured, with juicy dark fruits layered over savoury spice, black olive and a touch of smoke. Fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity give the wine both drive and elegance, leading to a long, savoury finish that lingers with mineral freshness.

Food pairings highlight its finesse and savoury style: roast lamb with rosemary, duck breast with cherry glaze, venison with juniper, or eggplant parmigiana. Aged cheeses such as clothbound cheddar or Comté also pair beautifully. With 15 to 20 years of cellaring potential, Craiglee Shiraz develops incredible complexity, gaining notes of truffle, leather and dried herbs while retaining its core of fruit and spice.