2017  Thomson Family

Thomson Family ---- "The Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz 2017 encapsulates the best of Australian shiraz, and at 13.5% abv to boot! Grapes are meticulously hand-harvested, selected and sorted. It was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best in 1868, recorded as "Hermitage" by Henry in his daily journal. It was elevated to the highest and rarest Langton’s Classification of "Exceptional" in the 2018 Classification VII. It is the only Victorian Shiraz in this category." James Halliday: "Predominantly from the 1868 plantings, with lesser amounts from 1996 and '70, hand-picked and sorted, 50% crushed, 45% whole berry, 5% whole bunch. You'd stand up for royalty, and that's this wine. To use the spit bucket is lese majeste. Just savour it, drop by drop, as it magically finds its way unbidden down your throat. It's got the full rainbow of cool-grown shiraz flavors, a conjunction with a year made for it by Dionysis, and, glory be, comes with a screwcap." - 99 Points JH

2012  McIntyre Whole Bunch

118 cases produced. This shiraz is 100% from McIntyre Vineyard fruit, 100% whole bunch fermented. The wine is deep crimson in colour and the aromatics are intense and complex. Black pepper spice on ripe dark berry fruit is overlaid with savoury, roasted root vegetable and Campari-like citrus peel characters. These complexities are joined on the palate by an abundance of fine, mouth filling tannins, which together, give this wine beautiful silky texture and palate length.