Silver Lining Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2021

This is a good news wine, the best kind of wine, full of hope and a bright future. It’s the creation of a winemaker who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 10 years ago, underwent a life-changing operation four years ago, and who now raises funds for Parkinson’s research through the sale of his wines. And it must be said that Marty Edwards, the man behind Silver Lining wines based in the Adelaide Hills, makes some mighty fine wines. The ’21 vintage was a stunner in the Hills, so it’s no surprise to see Silver Lining producing a shiraz of both concentration and liveliness.

Black cherry, pomegranate, red licorice, black pepper and bay leaf light up the scent and saturate the tongue, making an immediate impression of freshness with fruit interwoven around a world of spice and bolstered by fine tannins. We can debate the amount of bay leaf/eucalypt character embraced, but I find it attractive and not too intrusive. Medium bodied, generous in ripe fruit – but not too generous, this is cool climate shiraz and you are reminded of it in its cut and polish – this Hills shiraz has energy to burn. There’s a suggestion of complexity, too, borne of time in seasoned French oak (10 months) which brings added flavour intrigue of savoury deli meats and earth. Delightful. Shiraz, in this writer’s opinion, is the rising star of the Adelaide Hills, destined to overtake pinot noir. Word is getting out.