2024 JC's Own Stratum Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Shiraz sourced from a Greenock vineyard of red clay over limestone; destemmed, cement fermented and matured, aged on lees in concrete for 12 months. Super-deep magenta/crimson. Fruit tones of blackberry, black cherry and boysenberry with hints of clove, licorice, dark chocolate, blacksmith's anvil, crushed rock, pan juices and olive tapenade. Full bodied with a calm, composed flow of resonant pure black fruits, thick, silty, ferrous tannins and a bright cherry-skin acidity. Drink to 2038.

93 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2026

Pure and un-oaked, the fruit for the Stratum comes from low-yielding Greenock vines rooted in red clay over limestone. The grapes were picked in the evening, destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in cement vats. The pressed wine aged in cement and spent ten months on lees ahead of bottling without fining or filtration.

Bright, juicy and succulent, this is a fresh and vibrant Shiraz that would pair well with smoke, salt and char. Try with steaks served with salsa Negra or lamb shawarma in warm pita or flatbreads with sumac-onion salad and garlic toum.

About this producer

JC’s Own is Massena-founding winemaker Jaysen Collins’ negociant project that sees him working with sustainably managed vineyards to produce his boundary pushing lo-fi wines that favour indigenous yeasts and low sulphur throughout, bottled without fining or filtration