Birks Wendouree - Shiraz - 2016

From 1893 and 1919 plantings. Amazing history, and while I’m perhaps not the biggest flag waver for Australian (red) wines, by God we’ve got some treasures to be, erm, treasured. Chocolate, coffee and a sweet earthiness, blackberry, mint, cedar and vanilla. Pushing to full-bodied, deep and chewy, dark pools of fruit, stony minerals skipping across it, almost smoky and something like Kopiko in that sweet essence of coffee, acidity is firm but neatly tucked in, tannin sweeps wide grained and grainy on the finish. A surprising richness to this release, yet it has energy and calm authority, brightness of raspberry in the aftertaste. It pains me to rate a Shiraz as highly as Malbec or Cabernet, yet it must be done. As an afterthought, not the finesse or elegance of the BDX wines, but it does throb and resonate. Drink 2021-2046. 96 Points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.