Heirloom Vineyards King’s Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
- 93
- $100
- Drink by: 2025-2037
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Barossa Shiraz will surely remain eternally popular thanks to wines like this. From a spectacular vintage for the region, this has it all – generous and approachable now, but a wine which continues to age majestically for many years. This is completely opaque, very dark red on the rim. The quality of the vintage is evident from the first sniff/sip. There is plenty of oak still here, still in the process of integration, but those with a modicum of patience will be well rewarded. That said, this is probably a wine which will be enjoyed more by those for whom oak is very much a plus. There are notes of chocolate, animal fur, licorice, soy, axle grease, cold tea, cloves and blackberries. A seductive palate with a seamless structure, very fine tannins and impressive length. Enjoy this over the next ten to twelve years.
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.
