2023 Ravensworth Estate Shiraz Viognier

92 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

The estate vineyard has a few different clones of shiraz, interestingly it has Best’s old block Concongella and the Tahbilk Old Vines clone, which sounds like a Star Wars droid. They can name dogs interesting things for varied breeds, but grape clones have to sound like serial numbers and types of car parts. Goes barrique to foudre over its two year maturation pre bottling. A subtle, spicy, slick red of washy raspberry fruit character, wet leaf and undergrowth characters, some brambly blackberry notes, white mushroom, black pepper and peppery sage leaf characters. It feels like viognier is a very back note here, the vintage out and proud in diffuse nature and spread of flavours, plus the greenery found here, but in all that, a kind of pinosity, pleasing swish of texture and cool finish. One can comment on the watery nature of the wine, for sure, so a caveat, but pleasure rises here too.

92 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

It’s certainly a more restrained, nervy style for the flagship, with its cool elements of white and black pepper, raspberry leaf, some stemmy notes and barely ripe fruit plus lots of herbal tones. Tangy and tart fruits on the lighter-framed palate, sinewy tannins and loads of refreshing yet frisky acidity. This needs food to assuage all that.

92 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Shiraz Viognier is a distinct wine here. One really gets the sense of the Viognier, being floral and wet, green and verdant, as an aromatic overlay to the Shiraz fruit. The palate reveals finely wrought tannins and pure acidity—a significant part of the show. The shaley minerality is very attractive, and the wine overall feels herbal and fine, with lemon myrtle and raspberry leaf, white strawberry and apple. It matured in French oak, both barrique and 27-hectoliter foudre. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.