2023 Fox Creek Family Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Fox Creek Family Shiraz from McLaren Vale is everything you want in a classic South Australian Shiraz – bold, generous and wrapped in a velvet cloak of dark fruit and spice. It’s a tribute to the region’s old vine strength and to Fox Creek’s legacy, founded by Dr. Jim Watts in the 1980s when he and his family turned a former dairy paddock into one of McLaren Vale’s standout estates.

The wine is bursting with ripe blackberry, black cherry and mulberry, layered with dark chocolate, clove, a touch of cracked pepper and subtle oak sweetness. The palate is plush and mouthfilling, with soft, ripe tannins and a warming core of dark fruit that stretches into a long, spice-laced finish. It’s unmistakably McLaren Vale – rich but with that coastal breeze freshness that keeps it balanced.

Winemaker Scott Zrna focuses on structure and harmony, allowing the fruit to shine while using oak as seasoning, not the main act. The result? A wine that’s both crowd-pleasing and cellar-worthy – approachable now but with enough stuffing to reward a few years’ patience.

Food pairing: Perfect with slow-cooked beef cheeks, lamb shanks with rosemary and garlic, a chargrilled ribeye or mushroom and lentil stew with smoked paprika.

Cellar potential: Drinking beautifully on release, but will develop more savoury complexity and polish with 5–8 years in the cellar.