2024 Kilikanoon Covenant Shiraz, Clare Valley

This is a super wine that comes from a number of vineyards throughout the Clare Valley. In fact, the fruit from each vineyard was fermented and matured separately in French oak before being brought together to produce the final wine. Smooth and immensely appealing, plummy chocolatey notes and lifted florals open on the nose, which has an almost pretty presentation. The palate is seamlessly structured with fine grainy tannins, supple understated oak and beautifully soft and generous fruit all swirling together into a compelling combination that extends to a very long finish. Drink to 2036.

95 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, February 2026

There is something intrinsically Australian – Clare Valley, too, for that matter – about raising a glass of red and the sweet scent of Aussie bush and mint slowly infiltrates the senses. You are taken into the country in one sniff, one taste. Covenant ’24 boasts a lively immediacy with the strong scent of mint, peppermint, Aussie bush, mingling freely with black fruits, blueberries and plum with a light spiciness in train. The comfort factor runs high here in a wine that is warm and generous. A savoury, black olive note finds its way on the palate amid ripe fruits, spice, mint, bay leaf and earth and a dressing of cedary, toasty oak. Oak then proceeds to close the wine. Drink to 2034.

92 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, February 2026

The 2024 Covenant opens with dark fruit and chocolate, the richnose lifted by eucalyptus and mint, with notes of black olive and sunwarm herbs sitting underneath. The palate is fine-grained and supple, dark fruit and graphite-like tannin carried by cedary oak through to a long, warming finish.

The eucalyptus lift and olive-and-herb undertone call for something that echoes that character: kangaroo loin with juniper and pepperberry, grilled quail with a warm spice glaze, or char-grilled eggplant with black olive and herb dressing all sit naturally alongside this one.

More about this wine

Clare Valley enjoyed cool and dry conditions over the 2024 season. The grapes were crushed into stainless steel for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The pressed wine was matured for 14 months in primarily seasoned French oak hogsheads, with a barrel selection made ahead of the final blend.

About Kilikanoon

Kilikanoon Wines was founded by Kevin Mitchell in 1997, built on vineyards planted by his father Mort Mitchell from the 1970s. winemaker Peter Warr carries forward a house philosophy of minimal intervention: no fining, no filtering across most of the range, wild yeast for selected wines and a respectful use of French oak.