Parker Estate SBW Shiraz Mataro Coonawarra/Barossa 2023
- 94
- $34
- Drink by: 2026-2041
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SBW does not refer to a well-known footballer, but rather to Small Batch Winemaking. A blend of Shiraz and Mataro, the Shiraz comes from 60-year-old vines on the Kidman Old Block Vineyard, while the Mataro comes from 110-year-old vines in the Barossa Valley, Kym Schultz’s bush vine vineyard. The team employed 15% whole bunches in the fermentation. Maturation was for fifteen months in the case of the Shiraz, just nine months for the Mataro. 20% of the oak used for the Shiraz was new. The remainder of the wine was in a mix of 300-litre hogsheads and 500-litre puncheons. Just 120 dozen made. Crimson/garnet in colour, on the nose we have spices, cherries, coffee beans, bay leaves, raspberries, licorice and warm earth. There is excellent integration here and we have hints of vanilla and nutmeg from that. A supple texture through to sleek tannins with serious persistence, the wine is well focused and there is no reason that it won’t continue to drink well for at least the next ten to fifteen years. Impressive stuff.
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.
