Birks Wendouree - Shiraz - 2021

Shiraz: the cuvée that routinely sets my heart aflutter. I'd wager everyone has a favorite, and this is the one that has racked up the most memories in my life so far. So, the 2021 Shiraz leads with Boscobel rose, bramble, pomegranate molasses, iodine, blood, gritty brick dust and tobacco, set against a backdrop of star anise/cut fennel/cracked fennel seed/aniseed and a hint of arnica. It is savory and measurably dense, the tannins a ductile splay of graphite and coal dust through the finish. Instead of building in weight and shape as the wine evolves, it elongates and lingers but never backs off the pace when it comes to flavor intensity. This is a pretty sensational wine. It is one that we know ages prodigiously and here, through the lens of this balanced and cool vintage, one that has never looked better. 13.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Note from the letter: 'A straight Shiraz from 1919 Eastern vineyard plantings and 1893 Central bush vines.' 98 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Companion