2021 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Fervent plum, violet and black pepper aromas intensify on the palate and encounter an enthralling liquorice zeal. Finely-tuned tannins and pervading acidity drive the power.

96 points Gold Decanter Wine Awards 2026

Sourced from three vineyards with an average vine age of 70 years, with 17 months in French oak. This is an abundant wine of dark-fruited depth and sleek elaboration to bottle. It’s silky, full of black berries and plum, chocolate and clove, along with some meatier, smoky notes, iron and violet. It’s got intensity and suppleness while maintaining keen balance, the elegantly fine tannins signing off in style. Drink to 2036.

95 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2024

Deep crimson. Gorgeous ripe blackberry dark chocolate aromas and flavours with underlying roasted chestnut notes, lovely mid plate volume/ concentration and fine-grained but firm and vigorous tannins. A ferruginous note at the finish. Acidity slightly at the fore, but delicious nonetheless. Drink to 2036.

95 points Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal 2026

A solid, textured and well-driven shiraz with aromas of dark cherries, dark plums, peppercorns and roasted meat. It’s full-bodied with plush tannins. There’s a dense and pulpy core of berries and spices, with a lift of herbs and peppercorns toward the textural finish. Drink or hold.

92 points Kevin Dacy for James Suckling, November 2024

Aromas of dark fruit open this wine, complemented by smoky notes of dark chocolate and tapenade. Full-bodied and intense, the layered palate follows the nose, adding add sprinkling of licorice and coffee bean.

More about this wine

Eileen Hardy wines are named after the widow of Tom Hardy, who following his passing in 1938 stepped up to lead a business she had no experience in, guiding the family and company alike through challenging times of war, and well into the 1960s. She received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 1976, and lived to see the fifth generation take over the reigns in 1980.

Winemaking honours the Australian tradition of blending fruit across the continent for premium flagship wines. This wine is a blend of three McLaren Vale old vine parcels.

About Hardy’s Wines

Hardy’s has its roots in late-1800s McLaren Vale and has grown into one of the largest and most widely distributed names in Australian wine. Today, the vineyards and operations are part Vinarchy, a wine business with a global footprint headquartered in Australia.