Incygnes Wines Barossa Valley Shiraz 2020

Fascinating to see a pair of wines where the only difference is the vintage which gives real insight. And that is what we have here. A barrel sample, sure, but there is more than sufficient here to read the tea leaves, if one may mix beverage clichés. From the estate’s Green’s Vineyard in the Vine Vale sub-region, which is home to vines of varying ages on a mix of soil types, this is an inky dark maroon hue. Powerful, even on the nose the impression is of a wine which is seriously concentrated and slightly burly. Very much muscular in style, we have soy, aniseed, black fruits and leather. It’s a ‘no prisoners’ style of wine, richly flavoured with power and punch also on the palate and we see more traditional notes of chocolate, mocha and coffee beans emerging over a very long finish. This very much reflects the 2020 vintage with its intensity and power.