2021 Tim Smith Reserve Shiraz, Barossa Valley

A wine that Tim Smith only releases from top vintages, and 2021 is certainly just that. Here predominately Eden Valley grapes. It's a rich, opulent style with deep blackberry pastille, dark plum and cassis fruit tones cut with hints of baking spices, bay leaf, Old Gold chocolate, cedar, earth, sage, licorice and graphite. Plenty of power here with compact, chalky tannins and a long draw on the finish.

94 points Dave Brookes winecompanion.com.au

Tim Smith Reserve Shiraz from the Barossa Valley is a powerful yet finely crafted expression of old vine Shiraz, showing off the region’s richness through the lens of one of its most quietly confident and consistent winemakers. Sourced from very low-yielding, dry-grown vineyards — many over 60 years old — this wine is the pinnacle of Tim Smith’s Shiraz releases, made only in outstanding vintages and in very limited quantities.

The fruit is hand-picked and fermented in small open-top fermenters with gentle pump-overs for extraction, then matured for around 20 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak hogsheads. While the style embraces Barossa’s trademark plushness and generosity, there’s a clarity and structure to the Reserve that speaks more of finesse than force.

In the glass, it’s dense and brooding, with aromas of blackberry, dark plum, cocoa, smoked spice, anise and fine oak. The palate is full bodied and seamless, delivering waves of black fruit, dark chocolate, charcuterie and warm spice, all wrapped in firm, velvety tannins. There’s depth and concentration, but also polish — a sense of proportion that elevates this well above the average Barossa blockbuster.

Food pairing: ideal with slow-braised beef cheeks, herb-crusted lamb rack, chargrilled eggplant, or a pepper-crusted steak. Also excellent with aged cheddar or dry-aged ribeye.

Cellar potential: built for the long haul. Best from 2026 onwards, with potential to cellar gracefully for 15 to 20 years, gaining savoury detail, dried spice and a smoky, earthy core.