2024 Paxton Quandong Farm Shiraz, McLaren Vale

David Paxton is one of McLaren Vale's most respected viticulturalists with a career built not on winemaking but on growing exceptional fruit. His vineyards have been certified organic and biodynamic since 2011.

Winemaker Ashleigh Seymour came to Paxton after a decade of immersion in biodynamic thinking in Italy. This influenced not just her view on farming but the way she approaches life and the rhythm of the seasons. Her approach is to guide the wine rather than direct: getting it right in the vineyard first, then keeping the wine under wraps as it finds its own way. It's a natural fit for a producer whose reputation was built on viticulture, long before it was built on winemaking.

Quandong Farm sits in the Seaview subregion on a west-facing slope, planted to Shiraz in 1997 on shallow loam over limestone. The proximity to the ocean keeps the afternoon heat in check and draws in cooling sea breezes that preserve the aromatic freshness the vineyard is known for.

The 2024 vintage began with an unusually wet and cool but the late summer and early autumn conditions allowed for excellent flavour concentration. At the winery, 40% of the harvest was retained as whole bunches, with the remainder destemmed and fermented with 100% indigenous yeast in small open-top fermenters. Careful plunging and pump-overs over 10–15 days extracted colour, structure and flavour before pressing to new and seasoned French oak puncheons for 12 months of maturation.

The result is a Shiraz of real personality: boysenberry, dried rosemary and juniper on the nose, with a thread of sandalwood and a faint bush-spice lift from the whole bunches. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky, generous mid-palate texture, fine-grained tannins and genuine length.

This is a wine for a relaxed dinner with friends. Slow-roasted lamb shoulder spiced with cumin and coriander, pulled apart at the table, or a Vietnamese-style caramelised pork with jasmine rice would both find a willing partner here. The wine's mid-palate generosity handles the richness, while the whole-bunch spice and savoury depth give it enough edge to cut through.