2023 Parker Estate Rocky Block Shiraz, Coonawarra

Also part of the new Vineyard Series is this thoroughly enjoyable Shiraz. The Rocky Block is on McLeod’s Tirrike Vineyard which is very much to the north in the Coonawarra region. Maturation was for twelve months in French oak barriques, one-quarter of them new. 2,000 cases produced. Maroon with a cerise rim, the nose offers notes of black fruits, warm earth, cloves, charcuterie, coffee grinds and mulberries. This is a wine of medium length through to fine  tannins. It retains its focus throughout and on the palate we see notes of spices emerging, including hints of bay leaves. For enjoying anytime over the next decade. Drink to 2036.

92 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, February 2026

A site littered with limestone rock, and it shows in its fine line and crunchy red fruit. Here, redcurrants and blood plums take the lead; it's very soft and plush but with a sweep of acidity. This falls into the light- to medium-bodied camp and could handle a slight chill or be a wine for those who enjoy the likes of gamay, light red blends or easy-drinking, go-with-everything kinds of reds. Drink to 2028.

89 points Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, January 2026

Aromas of mulberry, dark cherry, earth, spice and eucalyptus. Pepper and spice on the palate, along with blackberry, cedar and firm, textured tannins. Decent length, shape and presence. Drink to 2036.

88 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, May 2026

The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Rocky Block on the McLeod’s Tirrike vineyard at the very northern limit of the Coonawarra wine region.

Picking was done using a Select Harvester which de-stems the bunches in the vineyard to deliver whole berries to the winery. The grapes were fermented in both open and closed top fermenters for an average of ten days on skins. Malolactic fermentation was completed in stainless steel ahead of the wine maturing for 12 months in French oak barriques of which a quarter were new.

About this producer

Parker Estate was established by John and Faye Parker’s 1985 planting of the Abbey Vineyard in Coonawarra with the Reynell Selection of Cabernet Sauvignon. Current owners, the Hesketh family through their Usual Suspects Collective, acquired the estate in 2013. The vineyards sit over a limestone base beneath rich Terra Rossa topsoil, a distinctive combination that has been the foundation of the region’s fame.