Genista Wines Taking The Mickie Shiraz 2017

If you ever wondered what a difference a vintage can make, here is a very clear example. Genista Wines have a 2017 and 2018 Taking The Mickie shiraz available. Each is singularly individual. The 2017 is about structure and has been released with some years in bottle already chalked up. There’s more than a touch of old school Barossa about it in its earthiness, leather and dense, drying tannins. Those tannins are a feature, but they aren’t quite as rounded and appealing as they are in the 2018 Taking The Mickie shiraz. Is it a vintage variation or a winemaking one? I vote for the former because of the number of top Barossa reds made in 2018. The 2017 shiraz definitely also has its strong points: its juicy blue berries and black fruits, dusty cacao, spices and tilled earth. And it’s also a wine that will develop further in the mid-term.