2022 Head The Brunette Shiraz

96 POINTS

Halliday Wine Companion - Panel Score

Shiraz from a single site; a 1965-planted block in Flaxman Valley, 10% whole bunch, matured on fine lees for 18 months in 20% new 500L French oak. Super deep magenta-flashed crimson. Such a beautiful-smelling wine. Pure and lifted plum and blue fruits with tones of citrus and clover blossom, fine spices, sage, ironstone, jasmine and earth. Powdered granitic tannins seem to flocculate through the wine; the fruit, pure and endearing, shows grace and presence, minerally cadence providing the perfect amount of thrust, finishing long and purely dark-fruited. A great release for Alex. Dave Brookes Published 08 August 2024

96 POINTS

Dave Brookes - Halliday's Wine Companion

Shiraz from a single site; a 1965-planted block in Flaxman Valley, 10% whole bunch, matured on fine lees for 18 months in 20% new 500L French oak. Super deep magenta-flashed crimson. Such a beautiful-smelling wine. Pure and lifted plum and blue fruits with tones of citrus and clover blossom, fine spices, sage, ironstone, jasmine and earth. Powdered granitic tannins seem to flocculate through the wine; the fruit, pure and endearing, shows grace and presence, minerally cadence providing the perfect amount of thrust, finishing long and purely dark-fruited. A great release for Alex.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

A driven, focused and solid shiraz with dark berries, chocolate wafers, roasted meat and roasted peppercorns on the nose. Full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. A velvety texture packed with generous berry character. Loads of spices and dark chocolate lead to a rather intense and generous palate. Appealing kick of peppercorns in the long, driven finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

94 POINTS

Angus Hughson - Winepilot.com

The beautifully composed 2022 Shiraz The Brunette is understated yet delightful, with its ethereal aromas of wood smoke, game and dried spices supported by layers of blackberry and well-integrated oak. It is young and tightly wound, with great energy and chalky tannins before building to a strong, precise finish. A sleeper.

93 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Wine Advocate

The 2022 The Brunette Shiraz leads with Ovaltine and malt, a hint spearmint and arnica, mulberry, blood plum and Amaro-esque herbs. It is quite different in character from the 2021 tasted prior and is loaded with savory herbs and spices. On the palate, the fruit is silky and juicy, framed by firm tannins. I like this a lot. It is very good and unexpected. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

93 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Wine Advocate

The 2022 The Brunette Shiraz leads with Ovaltine and malt, a hint spearmint and arnica, mulberry, blood plum and Amaro-esque herbs. It is quite different in character from the 2021 tasted prior and is loaded with savory herbs and spices. On the palate, the fruit is silky and juicy, framed by firm tannins. I like this a lot. It is very good and unexpected. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

90 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Reading between the lines, I think this is from the same vineyard as the Blonde, though sans Viognier. Anyway, 1965 plantings from the Flaxman Valley. I think the Blonde and Brunette used to be from different places, but anyway, this comes from a patch with an easterly aspect, planted at 480m altitude. It does taste very different anyway. Very meaty and spicy, it’s all beef drippings, mint and sage, and more than a bit ferrous. It’s dry, kind of salty, with a gummy feel to it, and really quite umami in flavour, with a dry Spanish black olive flavour, and maybe a bit of warmth on the finish. Not the charm of the Blonde, nor the succulence, it kind of shudders along, rather than flows. It’s good, though it’s quite drying and loose knit. Still, has quite some personality