Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2023

Sparkling Shiraz from Coonawarra. Anyone feeling the holiday let-down as we slog through January can surely find a way to lift their spirits with a glass of this absolutely delicious sparkling red. The base wine is matured in used French oak hogsheads for five months, before the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle. It spends fourteen months on lees, before a dollop of liqueur, in this case Vintage Port, is added. Under crown seal. An explosion of colour, effervescence and flavour here. Inky vibrant maroon in colour, the nose gives us aromas of black fruits, aniseed, mocha, chocolate soy, smoked meats and beef stock. There is bright acidity here and while the wine does have sweetness, it is extremely well balanced, and it is not apparent to any great extent at all. A supple and intense texture with excellent length, it really is well balanced throughout. We see notes of vegemite emerge on the palate. A cracking Sparkling Shiraz, this will provide pleasure for at least a decade. Every chance the score will climb in the coming years.