Wynns Michael Coonawarra Shiraz 2018

Wynns Michael Coonawarra Shiraz, South Australia, 2018

Grape: 100% Shiraz, matured 16 months in new (28%) and seasoned French oak hogsheads (83%) and barriques (17%), winemaker Sue Hodder

Producer Tasting Note:

Vibrant red colour with a clear purple rim. Intense, lifted aromas of blueberries with hints of bayleaf. Initially the palate is restrained and quite tight. However, the quality of the 2018 Michael is apparent through the length of the palate and the texture which is already silky. Layers of red cherries are peppered with dark spice and subtle cloves that build in intensity along the palate. This is the pinnacle of our shiraz - medium bodied with a beautiful line and length.

Michael Shiraz is Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s best-of-vintage Shiraz. Named after David Wynn’s young son, the fruit used for this wine comes from the best vineyard sites in Coonawarra and is only made in years when the best quality fruit is available. The wine is a legend of the Australian wine story...

Critics' Tasting Notes:

Certified sustainable. Block was planted in 1970 on own roots. Soil is classic Coonawarra terra rossa. Farmed at 2 t/acre. A warm, early year. No whole bunches but significant whole berries with no crushing. Open-tub fermenter. Plunged and pumped over. 16 months in French barrels including 28% new hogsheads and older barriques. Filtered prior to bottling.

"Deep cherry red. Intense aroma of blackberry and cassis. Plus a lightly herbal note, not leafy but definitely Coonawarra. Juicy, finely textured and almost silky tannins, yet the tannins grip and hold the fruit in the centre of the palate. Pure, deep, harmonious." Drink 2023-2033

17/20 points, Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, September 2024

"Very deep, saturated purple/red colour. The bouquet is brooding and profound, savoury spice, graphite and oak-tinged aromas leading into a richly-textured, full-bodied palate of great depth and fleshy suppleness. Tremendous length and wonderfully mysterious depths. Lovely now but it will build and build over a long career." Drink 2021-2043

97/100 points (5 Stars), Huon Hooke, The Real Review, September 2021

"While a Wynns house style is quite clear with its Old Vines Shiraz, the Michael goes to another level to express its pedigreed story as one of Australia’s finest shiraz. Best of everything, I suggest, is where it starts, including fine details intended in the oak regime with 28% new French employed. The colour is a fabulous red to purple, aromas suggesting more savoury complexities out of the kitchen herb garden. Some understanding is required to read the style which doesn’t depend on being showy at this stage but layers dark cherry with flavour-lent spices on a palate that rolls out effortlessly. Read that as supreme sophistication now, and wait for 8-15 years to see the great reveal that history tells us will invariably occur." Drink 2024-2040

97/100 points, Tony Love, Wine Pilot

Food Match:

A delicious Greek Mezze platter, where the fine tannin and soft acid offset the olive oil and creamy texture.