Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz 2020

Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz 2020
$250, 14% alcohol, screwcap, Great Western/Grampians.

Grampians shiraz at its best is never ‘big’ or overly bold but that said, this release of Best’s fabled Thomson Family Shiraz – which was grown on vines that were, remarkably, planted in 1868 – is a wine of quite some substance. It tastes of black cherry into flasme-grilled plum, cedarwood and mint, vanilla cream, potpourri and peppercorns, the latter edging gently into pure, cracked, black pepper territory. There are gentle notes of both undergrowth and leather running beneath the main stream of flavour and while tannin isn’t a key feature of the wine, there’s enough firmness here to lend the wine a keen sense of shape. Thus wine will mature (well) for pretty much as long as you want it to; it has the balance to live long term. 94+ points.