2022 Printhie Topography Shiraz, Orange

The colour is medium-deep red-purple, bright but not deep or dark for a young shiraz. The aroma is almost overpowering: spicy with touches of pepper and violets—very cool climate. It's all about the shiraz fruit, no obvious oak or stalk characters. Really good fine-grained tannins. A beautiful medium bodied wine, the antithesis of heavy, tannic shirazes. Very good intensity, line and length of flavour. Sits between pinot noir and more conventional shiraz, in that nice middle ground. It could easily be labelled syrah as it conforms to that style. From a lower altitude part of Orange, the Printhie vineyard at 630m. Whole berry and a 'small' amount of whole-bunch. Aged in 500 litre puncheons, 30% new. Drink to 2034.

93 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, December 2023

Raspberry roll-ups, huckleberry and blackberry leaf. White pepper, olive tapenade and rosemary stem. Serrano jamon, thyme and allspice. A hint of blue fruit too. A meaty wine with chewy tannins and full bodied without being weighted by oak.

2022 Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2024

Printhie Topography Shiraz from Orange is a cool-climate interpretation of this classic Australian variety, grown at elevation on the volcanic slopes of Mount Canobolas. The region’s combination of altitude, ancient basalt soils and long growing season delivers a Shiraz that is vibrant, medium-bodied and laced with spice rather than sheer weight.

At the helm is winemaker Drew Tuckwell, who has guided Printhie into one of New South Wales’ leading estates with a focus on site expression and finesse. The Topography range showcases individual vineyard character, and this Shiraz is all about purity of fruit and elegant structure. Fermented in small batches with gentle extraction and matured in a mix of French oak, the wine is crafted to balance fruit, spice and texture.

Lifted aromatics of black cherry, raspberry, cracked pepper and violet give way to a palate that is supple and savoury. There’s juicy dark fruit at its core, but also fine tannins, bright acidity and a lovely line of spice and earth that reflect the region’s volcanic soils.

Pair it with roast duck, Moroccan lamb, grilled mushrooms or a smoky eggplant dish. While drinking beautifully now, this wine will develop further over the next 6 to 8 years.