Barossa Boy Lifeblood Shiraz 2018

As a sixth generation Barossa winemaker, it’s no surprise that Trent Burge, the Barossa Boy, knows how to handle Shiraz. It’s the region’s signature variety, acknowledged by the name given to this wine, ‘Lifeblood’. The 2018 smells like a lavender bush in the height of spring, fragrant and enticing. There’s ripe blackberry, a hint of strawberry jam and cream (atop scones, Country Women’s Association style). There’s also a lovely spicy savoury character like the native grasses of the Aussie outback; brush and earth warmed by the sun. In the mouth it’s succulent and sensuous with black cherries, plump, ripe, plums, soft licorice coated in bittersweet dark chocolate and a black pepper spice. A youngster still, the tannins are fine but chalky and will soften further with food. Decant it to enjoy the complexity now or pop it in the cellar to experience a gentle evolution.

Nicole Bilson

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.

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