2022 Mystery Barossa Shiraz Deal No. 5975

98 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

From vigneron Dave Powell’s school of quintessential Barossa Shiraz, sourced from cuttings off seriously old vines on his Neldner Road vineyard in the Valley’s western district of Marananga. A tutorial in the meeting of powerful Barossa Shiraz fruit and fine oak maturation managed across 18 months in second use barrels used for his top-range Kraehe Shiraz. Royal purple in the glass, dark coffee, pain au chocolat, nutmeg led baking spices to the nose, elevating compote plum that soon finds its savoury counterpoints via long, fine-grained tannins, impressively integrated across the whole length of the palate, finished with a subtle olive-like edge. Total control at all times, seriously fine wine with seductive drink-now attractions and long-life ambitions of even greater pleasures.

97 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Opulent and enticing, the wine shows dark fruit richness, mocha, cake spice, and cedar characters on the nose. It's concentrated and plush in the mouth, delivering an expansive mouthfeel and fine, chalky tannins, making it sturdy yet velvety with a long, sumptuous finish.

97 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Opulent and enticing, the wine shows dark fruit richness, mocha, cake spice, and cedar characters on the nose. It's concentrated and plush in the mouth, delivering an expansive mouthfeel and fine, chalky tannins, making it sturdy yet velvety with a long, sumptuous finish. At its best: now to 2037. $100.00

96 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

Dave Powell is very much a Barossa institution and his wines from this new operation are proving to be quite thrilling. From vineyards in excess of 30 years old, mostly in the Marananga and Seppeltsfield subregions, the wine spends a year and a half maturing in 4,500-litre French oak foudres. Under cork. Opaque maroon in colour, there is power, balance, concentration, great length and intensity in this line. The oak integration is impressive, and we have flavours weaving through notes of chocolate, blackberries, cassis, mocha and licorice. Hints of beef stock, soy and cold tea lurk in the background. Youthful, but ever so promising, this is absolutely cracking drinking and should be so for at least the next ten to fifteen years. Love it.

95 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

One thing that can be guaranteed with this Barossa vineyard and this maker is that you are going to get flavour plus in abundance. The vineyard was planted about 30 years ago from cuttings of quite old vines, and that contributes to the super-premium Kraehe shiraz. In fact, the wine was matured for 18 months in second-use barrels previously used for the Kraehe. Sure, it’s a powerhouse with loads of opulent fruit, but yet there is a degree of elegance here and refinement that is very much about a slightly more modern interpretation of Barossa shiraz. There’s a pure essence of deep, chocolatey, dark, plummy, savoury shiraz buried within this structured framework. There’s a slightly syrupy mouthfeel to it, which I find quite attractive, and captures the density and richness of the wine. An opulent style, supremely balanced and poised, with the potential for further ageing.