2022 Dukes Vineyard Magpie Hill Reserve Shiraz, Porongurup

This strikes a chord for its savouriness and textural appeal. Slinky, satiny tannins wrap in ripe, dark cherry and forest berry fruit with lashings of sweet spice, minty lift, light mocha detail and black, brined olive savouriness. It skips along at just over medium weight with good intensity of fruit flavour, well-judged (if not liberal) but well-meshed oak influence and finishes long, spicy and with a smudge of fine, dusty tannin. A sense of power and grace at hand, and a tremendous, savoury red is the result.

95 points Special Value Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Duke’s Vineyard Magpie Hill Reserve Shiraz from Porongurup in Western Australia's Great Southern is a cool climate red of remarkable finesse, purity and regional character. Grown on the steep granite slopes of the Porongurup Range, this Shiraz reflects both its elevated site and the restrained, terroir-driven approach of winemaker Ben Cane.

The vineyard is defined by ancient soils, cool maritime breezes and long daylight hours during the growing season. These factors produce fruit with vibrant acidity, fine tannins and beautifully detailed spice and floral aromatics. The Magpie Hill block, reserved for only the best parcels of Shiraz, yields low quantities of intensely flavoured grapes that perfectly express their origin.

Ben Cane crafts this wine with minimal intervention. Hand picked fruit is fermented in small batches with wild yeast, followed by gentle extraction and aging in fine French oak. The focus is on preserving fruit purity and highlighting the site’s natural elegance rather than pushing for power or overt richness.

In the glass, this Shiraz opens with lifted aromas of black cherry, blueberry, violet and white pepper. The palate is medium bodied, sleek and savoury, with a core of dark fruit, subtle spice and earthy minerality. Tannins are fine and chalky, giving the wine structure and the potential for graceful aging.

Magpie Hill Reserve Shiraz is a true reflection of Porongurup’s cool climate and granite soils. It is elegant, aromatic and quietly complex—a beautifully made wine for lovers of refined Australian Shiraz.