2022 Adelina Shiraz Mataro, Clare Valley

75% Shiraz from 1902 (Aberfeldy) plantings, and 25% Mataro from 2012 plantings (Adelina).

Raspberry, blueberry, dried roses, a little mint, some charcuterie, and liquorice. It’s fleshy and ripe, plenty of almost freeze dried small red and blue fruits, almond, rich silty and ferrous tannin, dried herb and orange peel, and while it’s quite a thick and dense wine, it also has freshness and vitality, with a meaty/nutty/saline finish of excellent length. Excellent.

94 points Gary Walsh winefront.com.au

The lion's share of the Shiraz is drawn from a historic vineyard, owned by Jim McDowell and Anne Brown since 1987, but originally part of Wendouree and right next door to Adelina's Old Block Shiraz). There's also a swig of Shiraz drawn from Adelina's Block 7, planted in 2013. The Mataro, from Adelina's dry-grown bush vines, grows on slightly leaner soils of red sands with clay. With a measure of whole bunches, the grapes were co-fermented in concrete, followed by about eight months in 700-litre seasoned French foudre.