2023 Barossa Valley shiraz doesn't come much better than this. The vintage was perfect, but few nailed the opportunity as well as winemakers Kym Teusner and Javier Moll. The silky elegance and balance are coupled with purity and freshness in a manner seldom seen.
22 Nov 2023.
Deep ruby core to a purple rim. Ripe mulberry, teriyaki and crushed violets aromas build and lift from the glass. Medium to full bodied with a serious intensity of dark fruit in the core. Dark spices, crushed gravel and meaty hints are all melded into seamless package that flows incredibly long, thanks to powerful, yet finest of grain tannins that carry on for almost an eternity.
12 Oct 2023
Sourced from the famous Stonewell vineyard. This is very refined, contradicting the connotations of the name. Blue fruit inflections, pungent mineral undertones, black pepper, clove, anise and lilac. The tannins here are lithe, grape-derived and impressively refined, like a tautly drawn corset that compresses and tones the long finish. This is very good. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
27 Jul 2023
Shiraz sourced from the Wark Family vineyard, aged in 50/50% seasoned and new French oak and featuring a lovely label featuring 'Big Jim' by local Barossa artist Marnie Wark. Deep crimson and packed with plump, ripe satsuma plum and macerated summer berry fruits. Hints of baking spices, dark chocolate, earth, chocolate bullets, violets, olive tapenade, softly spoken cedar tones and vanilla. Plush and pure with bright acid drive and a fan of spicy dark and black berry fruits on the exit.
6 Jul 2023
From a lean site producing low yields of concentrated fruit. Matured 18 months in 30% new French oak hogsheads, then barrel selection. One bottle was corked. Kym Teusner's juicy, polished, delicious suave is arguably harder to translate in old-vine mataro than anywhere else. That he is able to achieve this consistently is impressive; that he can uphold varietal markers is what sets this apart as one of the Barossa's greatest single-vineyard mataros. Glossy, ripe berry fruits maintain tang and freshness, set to a backdrop of firm, fine tannins, and just the right amount of bitter high-cocoa dark chocolate French oak. Great length and endurance.
13 Aug 2021
Deep, dark and inky in the glass, holding its five years of age really well. Big, brooding aromas of plum conserve, mulberry, sweet spice, mocha and vanilla. Powerful on the palate: there's a drive of dark fruit and chocolate along with spice and anise. The flavours are rich, mouth-filling and invade the senses. The tannins and acidity are both up for the challenge and team with the opulent fruit admirably. Power and poise at play here.
25 Jun 2023
Medium-depth of red to brick-red colour. The bouquet is very complex and starting to display tertiary characters, 'roasting pan' and ironstone joining with graphite and smoked charcuterie. Chocolate-coated black cherries. Some oak appears to have been employed. The tannins are ample and supple, and are superbly matched to the flavours of this full-bodied wine, which persist in a long and satisfying fashion. A smashing wine!
12 Mar 2022
Deep red tinged with purple, and it has a voluminous bouquet of liquorice, plum and fruitcake, with a trace of coconut. A big, rich, generous style of sparkling shiraz with a touch of opulence, ripe flavours and very soft but present tannins. Sweetness is nicely balanced. A top example of the style.
15 Oct 2023
I remember falling in love with the Joshua back in 2003, having a sneaky little tasting at the Tanunda Hotel in 2004 then doing vintage with Rolf Binder in 2005, where Kym Teusner was the winemaker, and seeing it all come together. I've been hooked ever since. A blend of grenache, mataro and shiraz unencumbered by artifact with pure, spicy plummy fruits, ginger spice, citrus blossom, savoury, bright and spacious with a blast of sour morello cherry on the finish. It's still hitting the spot.
6 Jul 2023