2023 Spinifex Bete Noir Shiraz, Barossa

Spinifex approaches Shiraz from a very different angle to the classic Barossa stereotype, leaning into detail, spice and structure rather than sheer weight. Pete Schell works with carefully selected parcels across the Barossa and Eden Valleys, often from cooler sites and older vines, aiming to capture a more savoury, northern Rhône-inspired expression while still reflecting the region's warmth.

Bête noir — the bane of one's existence — is an apt name for a wine built from six separate parcels across Moppa, High Eden, Light Pass and the Eastern Foothills. Managing that many small, individually farmed sites is genuinely demanding work, but the reward is a blend with a layered complexity that a single vineyard approach rarely achieves. Parcels are handled separately through fermentation before being assembled into the final blend.

The 2023 is dark and complex on the nose — blackberry, black currant and ripe dark cherry fuse with white pepper, rosemary and baking spice, with bass notes of savoury walnut, black tea and game underneath. The palate is medium to full bodied, even and supple, with flavours that move through dark sour plum, red cherry and dried herbs before drawing to a long, fresh finish. Restrained yet fleshy — exactly the balance Pete Schell sets out to find.

The wine's savoury depth and fine structure are good company for anything that's been given a bit of time: slow-braised duck with juniper and red wine, a Provençal lamb daube with olives and orange peel or a grilled côte de boeuf with bone marrow butter.

Drink now through 2033.