Bleasdale Generations Shiraz 2018

An honest-to-goodness Langhorne Creek shiraz: earthy, black fruited generosity with dense tannins and a touch of savoury attitude. The region is noted for its red wines; there’s a richness and honesty to the region’s fruit which rarely requires too much fancy, new oak. Here, the wine saw 12 months in French oak puncheons (22% new). In Langhorne Creek the rule is let the fruit sing, don’t bury it. Bleasdale, with a history dating back to the 1850s, understands this winemaking philosophy better than most.

Plenty of dark Langhorne flavour here with a light oak sheen. Layers of plum, black berries, blackcurrant pastille, toasted spice, licorice and a touch of sweet charcuterie meats that lends a savoury feel to the warm, textural palate. But, no, not heavy in the least. Medium-bodied with plenty of flesh and tannin balance. Good through to the finish.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic