Wills Domain Eightfold Margaret River Shiraz 2021

It is a fact of life that Margaret River Shiraz lives forever in the shadow of its much-vaunted sibling, Margaret River Cabernet. Occasionally, it speaks up, let’s its voice be heard. In a challenging year like 2021 – think heavy rainfall, high humidity, disease pressures – the little grape did a mighty job. The ’21 Eightfold is quietly expressed, fine and elegant. It doesn’t need to shout, it’s got well-grown, solid fruit on its side. Bright purple-cerise hues. Brings Margs’ black-hearted dark fruits to the fore with woodsy oak, some undergrowth earthiness and wild herbs. Brisk, clean tannins hold everything nicely in place. Could be a little longer on the finish, but all is forgiven because there remains an attractive, velvety flow to the wine.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic