2023 Heirloom Vineyards A'Lambra Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Dark and inky red in the glass. Punchy aromas of stewed plum, sweet spice, briar, mulberry, nutty oak, dried herbs and pot-pourri. Generously flavoured, dark fruited and mouth-filling. The flavours are full-bore, with lashings of plum, mulberry, spice and creamy, nutty oak. The tannins and acidity deliver plenty of balance and shape and the length is impressively long. Built for the long haul. Drink to 2040.

96 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, January 2025

Bright crimson with bright satsuma plum, blueberry and black cherry fruits with hints of dark chocolate, violets, licorice, clove, vanillin oak, pepper, pan juices and black olive tapenade. Impressive fruit depth and intensity with assertive but fine, silty tannins and a rich roll of cassis-like fruit as it slowly fades away. Some cellaring upside here for sure. Drink to 2042.

94 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2025

Here’s a centre piece wine for a celebratory dinner party, or an indulgent winter Saturday night. Inky and complex, it would pair well with mouth coating fats and complex reduced glazes. We’re thinking Osso Buco with a rich reduction of bone marrow and red wine served over creamy polenta, or pan-seared venison loin wrapped in prosciutto and served with a pomegranate and cocoa jus over a celeriac purée.

More about this wine

The fruit for this wine was sourced from a single Barossa vineyard, handpicked, open fermented with indigenous yeasts, basket pressed and matured in a combination of American and French oak barrels.

About Heirloom Vineyards

Heirloom Vineyards is a venture of winemaker Elena Brooks and her husband, Zar. Established in 2000, their goal is to preserve the best of tradition, the unique old vineyards of South Australia, and to champion the best clones of each variety, embracing organic and biodynamic farming. Fruit is sourced from growers across the state, from Coonawarra up to Barossa’s Eden Valley.