2022 Koomilya DC Block Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Koomilya DC Block Shiraz from McLaren Vale is the kind of wine that makes you sit up straight, put your phone down, and pay attention. It’s big but not brash, deep but not overdone, powerful but with the kind of finesse that only a master winemaker like Stephen Pannell can pull off. A bloke who knows his dirt better than most people know their best mates, Pannell has spent years fine-tuning Koomilya, his passion project and love letter to McLaren Vale. The DC Block, named after the vineyard’s longtime caretaker, Dave Clarke (a great bloke by all accounts), is a single-site, ironstone-rich vineyard producing some of the region’s most structured, mineral-driven Shiraz.

Straight out of the bottle, this wine is a force of nature. It pours deep purple, nearly black, looking like it means business. The nose is an intoxicating swirl of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and mulberry, backed up by notes of star anise, black olive, and freshly turned earth. There’s a whisper of charred meat, graphite, and ironstone—a nod to the vineyard’s ancient soils. Take a sip, and it’s all texture and tension. The fruit is dark and pure, woven with savoury spices, cocoa, and a touch of tobacco. The tannins are fine but firm, like a well-tailored suit, and the acidity keeps everything fresh, leading to an incredibly long finish that echoes with black pepper, crushed rocks, and just a hint of dark chocolate.

This is the wine you want with a proper steak—grilled ribeye, bone-in, cooked over fire. It also works magic with slow-roasted lamb, smoky barbecue brisket, or a wild mushroom risotto if you want to mix things up. It’s drinking beautifully now if you give it some air, but let’s be real—this beast has a long life ahead. Give it 15–20 years, and you’ll be rewarded with even more complexity, layers of gamey, umami richness, and the kind of deep, soulful character that only great wines (and great blokes like Dave Clarke) have.

Koomilya DC Block Shiraz is everything McLaren Vale Shiraz should be—big, bold, deeply rooted in its land, and utterly unforgettable. If you love Shiraz with history, character, and a bit of a wild streak, this one’s got your name on it.