Shiraz showcase: Sly’s pick of St Hallett

St Hallett, Planted 1919 Shiraz,

Eden Valley 2015 98

NA/UK www. sthallet.com. au

Surprising, delightful restraint and finesse in a new flagship Barossa Shiraz from St Hallett, focusing on the subtle nuance of svelte Eden Valley fruit. It’s a lively dance of soft perfume and an intriguing textural pull and push, proudly showing skinny blue-fruit pucker with the squeeze of oldvine intensity. It’s a curious, beguiling wine that evolves in the glass. Released at A$450 a bottle. Drink 2021-2035 Alcohol 14.6%

St Hallett, Old Block Shiraz,

Barossa 2016 96

£74.99 Direct Wines, Majestic

Light on its feet despite such a brawny frame, defined by northern Barossa fruit, this shows liquorice and sharp blackberry, with hints of fresh raspberry and cranberry peeking beneath. Berry compote rolls over molten chocolate through a velvety mid-palate, to finish with a distinctly savoury tang. With a racy acid line that propels clean, bright flavours, the Old Block 2016 strikes the ideal balance between light and dark elements. Drink 2021-2045 Alc 14.6%

St Hallett, Higher Earth Syrah,

Eden Valley 2018 95

NA/UK www. sthallet.com. au

This new wine in the St Hallett portfolio shows great promise. Offering a bouquet of dark cherry, violets and bright raspberry with a flash of pepper, the inspiration for this plush Syrah was to showcase Eden Valley’s characteristics. Dark red fruits define a cheery, opulent flavour profile, while soft tannins guide a slippery, silky middle palate. Released at A$60 a bottle. Drink 2021-2032 Alc 14.7%

St Hallett, Mighty Ox Shiraz,

Barossa 2018 94

£ 129/magnum Harvey Nichols

Marketed only in a magnum celebration bottle, this new package is classic Barossa Shiraz in almost nostalgic fashion, with ripe, dark-fruited power speaking in rich baritone. Indeed, the 1.5-litre bottle is a smart vessel for this lush, tasty confection, which shows full-bodied generosity with prominent oak characters, vanilla and dark chocolate notes. Drink 2021-2035 Alc 14.8%

St Hallett, Blackwell Shiraz,

Barossa 2019 92

£ 31.99 (2018) Majestic

No restraint shown here! Blackwell is unashamedly old-school Shiraz: heavy and raw with the influence of American oak and boasting an enormous black-fruit profile, with tar and gritty black-tea tannins at its bedrock. There’s power in its concentration of liquorice and blackberry that fills the mouth on entry and never yields. Drink 2023-2035 Alc 14.7%

St Hallett, Faith Shiraz, Barossa 2019 91 £ 14.95-£ 16.95 (2017) M Wine Store, Noble Grape, Philglas & Swiggot, Tesco, Wine Republic Like a protégé of the black, burly Blackwell Shiraz, this has dark-fruited heft in a modestly priced wine that delivers superb bang for your buck. More finesse than you’d expect in its smooth midpalate, with lots of rich red-berry flavours, amplified thanks to a strong vintage where slower ripening meant more fruit intensity. An honest workaday wine.

Drink 2021-2030 Alc 14.5%

St Hallett, Gamekeeper’s Shiraz, Barossa 2020 88

£ 12.49 Harrods

The ripeness of full-flavoured Barossa Shiraz shines through in this sturdy entry-level wine. Oak from staves and swift processing result in a rather rough-hewn finish, but the quality of the core ingredients is noticeable. Ripe and resonating with fat red-berry richness, it stops well short of being jammy and instead speaks of generosity. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 14.3%