Mike Press Shiraz 2022

Estate Shiraz from the Kenton Valley vineyard, planted in 1998 with cuttings taken from now ninety-year-old vines at Springton, drawing on three separate parcels for complexity. Matured eighteen months in a mix of older French oak hogsheads. Vibrant ripe blackberries, plums and blueberries layered with warming spice, dark chocolate, nutmeg and coffee, finishing with a subtle, refreshing lift of acidity. Light-to-medium-bodied for Shiraz — drink now or cellar up to ten years.

The vineyard sits in the Kenton Valley just outside Lobethal, high and cool. The ground is sandy and clay loam broken up by siltstone and shale. Mark Vela runs the viticulture on vertical shoot positioning, picking falls in March and April, and the estate is working toward Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification.

Three parcels off that one block go into the wine, and the difference between them is what gives the blend its layers. The older hogsheads soften rather than flavour it, so the fruit sits in front of the oak. At 14 percent it carries a touch more weight than the estate Pinot, but it never turns heavy or jammy.

The winery pairs it with beef stir-fry or lamb kebabs. Open it an hour early if you drink it young. A few years in a cool cupboard lets the spice take over.