2021 Yalumba The Steeple Shiraz

97 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

Anyone who ever saw Darren Lockyer or David Campese slice through an opposition backline, Wayne Gretzky on ice or Michael Jordan on a basketball court, will understand the concept of gliding. This supple and sleek texture, with its silky tannins, is the vinous equivalent, gliding effortlessly to a very long finish. From a stellar vintage, this is a single vineyard wine hailing from the sub-region of Light Pass. The vines, biodynamically grown, were planted back in 1919. Fair to say, much can be expected. And much is delivered. A wild ferment before the wine spent sixteen months in oak, 15% of which new, termed the Tonnellerie Sylvain ‘Artistic Series’ barriques. They were made from a 365 year old oak tree (not completely sure that if I was the marketing team, I’d be promoting chopping up such a venerable old oak tree, but we can say that its demise was not in vain). The wine has a black cherry hue, with a wonderfully enticing nose, which just screams first class Barossa Shiraz. Full of dark berries, chocolate, roast meats, cassis, bay leaves, sage and mocha, the texture is plush in the extreme. Excellent oak integration (thankfully), there is a supple texture here and immaculate balance. Silky tannins, seriously good length and intensity maintained for the full journey, this is simply delicious, although it surely has at least fifteen years ahead of it. Notes of graphite are more prevalent on the palate. It seems that this wine often takes a backseat to some of the others in the portfolio, which seems criminally unfair. This is a gem.

96 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

This Barossa Shiraz, from over 100 year old biodynamically farmed vines, offers layer upon layer of evocative aromas: licorice, blackberry, plum, black pepper, cloves and violets, with a slightly smokey, charred note in the background. It's a mouth-filling wine but the dark fruit is supple, silky and fresh, and the tannins remain a supporting act rather than a lead role. Still a baby, this should evolve beautifully over the decades.

95 POINTS

Dave Brookes - Halliday Wine Companion

Shiraz sourced from the 1919 plantings of the Steeple vineyard in Light Pass. A cracking vintage this one and a wine to match. Plush Doris plums and black cherry fruits; blackberry, too, with hints of fine spice, cedar, black strap licorice, olive tapenade, dried herbs and crushed rock. Plenty of structure in the form of crushed-stone-like tannins and a really distinct, febrile energy to the wine's travel. Certainly impressive drinking now but this one will improve with some quiet times in the cellar.

94 POINTS

Angus Hughson - Vinous

The stylish single-vineyard, biodynamically farmed 2021 Shiraz The Steeple is a standout vintage for this label with delicious purity and finesse as it radiates with crushed blackberries, violets and white pepper spices underlined by a classy touch of oak. Its voluptuous upfront texture is initially seductive before building a significant volume of tannins with licorice and bay leaf tones over a finely balanced finish.