Craneford Firestation Barossa Shiraz 2019
- 95
- $130
- Drink by: 2025-2045
Share
The team’s flagship is a very fine Shiraz, but for me, it still needs time. At the moment, I’d opt for the No 1 Limited Edition, but that wine has the advantage of hailing from the wonderful 2021 vintage, although it is a line ball decision. However, in a decade – and presumably one is not buying this wine for immediate consumption – it may be a different matter. The wine spent around two years in American oak hogsheads, 40% of which were new. The final blend is a barrel selection. Under cork. Deep maroon hue, there is great intensity here. The wine is still extremely young. It offers notes of dark plums, spices, soy, mocha, coffee beans, chocolate, blackberries and roast meats. The texture is supple with fine tannins, while the length is most impressive and the oak deftly handled. The palate sees the emergence of notes of licorice. This is a twenty year proposition and the wine will certainly improve over that time.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
