2023 Nick O’Leary Bolaro Shiraz, Canberra District

Bright red in the glass. Pretty and fragrant aromas of spice, white pepper, blueberry, satsuma plum, briar, earth and bunchy forest floor. Mid-weight, bright, fleshy and blue fruit driven. There's a meatiness and sappy bramble edge to the fruit and the tannins and acidity deliver shape and cut. Long and textured. Drink 2025 to 2035.

93 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, February 2025

Peppery and spicy, there’s a juiciness and vibrancy within while showing off some red plums and blueberries. The oak adds brown spices and cedar, somewhat dominating but should settle in time, which this does need. Plenty of tannins, drying on the finish, although pops of fruit appear on the mid-weighted palate. Still finding its way. Drink 2026 to 2033.

92 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2025

Nick O’Leary started making wine in Canberra at 26, as winemaker at Hardy’s before they exited the region in 2006. He established his own label immediately, with a simple focus: Riesling and Shiraz from the Canberra District’s best vineyards. The estate vineyard sits in Hall Valley in the Murrumbidgee River corridor, just outside the ACT boundary. The Bolaro sits at the top on Nick’s Shiraz offering. Estate grown, it is a parcel selection of the best fruit of the vintage.

2023 was the third coolest vintage in 50 years in the Canberra District. The challenges started with two days of light frosts mid-December, followed by floods, hail and rain. Warm and dry weather finally arrived in the latter half of January and continued until harvest time. Shiraz split opinions, with patience and attention to detail in the vineyard the prerequisites for quality grapes.

Hand harvested and processed into 1.5 tonne open fermenters with 45% whole-bunches, the balance as whole berries. Matured in French barriques for 10 months, 35% of which were new. Bottled in March 2024.

Continental cool-climate whole bunch fruit is on full display, with the highly fragrant wine opening to aromas of white pepper and fennel seeds ahead of blueberries, red plums and earthy notes. The palate is ripe but not jammy, with a light spiciness accentuating the gentle sweetness of the fruit. The silky tannins will carry the gentle fruit for years to come.

Bolaro Shiraz will reward further cellaring with increased complexity and mellowness. Good company to smoked eggplant with pine nuts and black vinegar reduction, or honey-lacquered quails with Sichuan pepper-salt.