The 2022 Shiraz/Viognier pairs shiraz's dark fruit with a small measure of the white grape viognier, grown across South Australia's Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek, in the co-fermented style long associated with the northern Rhône.

Blackberry and plum sit at the core, but the viognier makes itself known with a floral, almost apricot-skin perfume that lifts the nose well above a straight shiraz. The palate follows through generously, with the fruit staying forward rather than turning brooding, and that same floral lift reappearing on the back palate.

Tannins are soft and the acidity is balanced rather than sharp, giving a smooth, rounded mid-palate that carries onto a finish with more fruit than grip. The two components sit together well, neither the weight of the shiraz nor the perfume of the viognier crowding the other out.

It's a wine built for the grill: lamb cutlets, a well-charred steak, or anything off the barbecue that can meet its fruit-forward style head on.

South Australia's cooler, wetter 2022 growing season pushed harvest later than usual across the region, and the freshness that came with it shows here; the wine has real fruit purity without feeling heavy or overripe.