2023 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Very deep red-purple colour with a nose of talcy sandalwood, crushed leaves and stalks, a little tomato leaf and this translates to a slightly stalky bitterness on the finish. This could be a little confronting at present for those with a low bitterness threshhold, unless consumed with protein, and it begs to be cellared. It's certainly intense and concentrated, and has excellent cellar potential. Drink to 2055.

96 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, May 2026

We might be yet to learn who is to be honoured with the 2023 Signature, but whomsoever it is should be well pleased. This is a cracking release, one of their best. An opaque centre with a dark maroon rim, there is still vanillin oak evident on the nose, but it is integrating well. The aromas include notes of dried herbs, black fruits, graphite, licorice, mocha, chocolate, plums and cassis. This is balanced, youthful, offering real persistence and coiled power. The palate sees the move to gorgeous chocolate notes. A wine with serious length, there is much to love here.

96 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, February 2026

Cassis, blackberry and dark cherry with graphite, tobacco, dried herbs and black olive. Firmly structured with fine-grained tannins, bright acidity and good depth of fruit. The cooler 2023 vintage brings freshness and restraint. A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon and 45% shiraz.

95 points Ryan Montgomery for James Suckling, September 2026

The quintessential Australian blend shows its worth nicely here. Plum, redcurrant, sandalwood, black pepper and blackberry lead the charge. With air, graphite and bay leaf emerge, along with black olive and allusions of grilled meat. The palate is full-bodied but still lifted and somewhat cool in feel. Meat, black olive, plum, dried herbs, blackberry and sandalwood again. There’s some mintiness to the acidity and lovely architectural structure through the finish. A strong 2023 release, and one that will do well with eight years or more in the cellar. Drink to 2034+.

94 points Tom Kline for Wine Pilot, February 2026

Yalumba — est. 1849 — is a historic family-owned wine company, still in the hands of the Hill-Smith family six generations on.

Their Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is a bold and beautifully balanced red that embodies the heart of Australian winemaking tradition. This iconic blend, first released in 1962, pays tribute each vintage to a member of the Yalumba family or extended team whose dedication has shaped the winery’s legacy. It’s a wine of generosity and poise, seamlessly blending the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the plush richness of Shiraz.

The Cabernet Sauvignon for the 2023 blend was sourced from three vineyards in the Barossa Valley, providing the rich, lifted Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and palate structure for which The Signature is renowned. The Shiraz came from three vineyards of varying age and with the oldest planted in 1935, contributing fruit sweetness, body, depth and layers of complexity.