2018 Printhie Topography Shiraz, Orange

Dense and bright red colour. Immediate aromatic intensity of sweet dark berries and toasty, vanilla oak that is quite seductive. The palate offers juicy fruit and lovely savoury complexity, not only from oak but also whole bunches in the ferment. Great tannin balance and length. Immediately enjoyable.

From a single vineyard elevated at 620m, all estate owned. A smidgeon of whole bunch was thrown into the fermentation following hand and machine harvesting. Similarly, a meld of ambient and inoculated ferments have added detail and a different thread to the spool, with some batches seeing a respectable 28 days on skins. Blood plum, boysenberry, iodine, sarsaparilla, violet and a smoky reductive riffs meld into a nourishing whole. The finish is long and gently peppery. Nothing heavy or over-extracted, but rather pulpy and juicy. A good drink.

92 points Ned Goodwin MW winecompanion.com.au