Hither & Yon Shiraz (2025)

750mL / McLaren Vale / Australia

Category: Wine
Sub-Category: Red wine

McLaren Vale has long produced some of Australia's most reliably ripe, warm-climate Shiraz, and Hither & Yon's 2025 release sits squarely in that generous, full-flavoured tradition. It is deep, dense purple in the glass, with barely any light passing through at the core.

Blackberry, plum and dark chocolate lead the nose, with a savoury, peppery lift underneath that keeps the richness in check, and a faint dark cherry note woven through the middle of the fruit. The palate is full and mouth-filling, with ripe, rounded tannin that gives structure without hardness, and a warmth that spreads evenly rather than sitting in one place.

The finish is long and warm, with dark fruit carrying through well after the last sip, and a faint spice note trailing behind it right to the very end.

It is built for a big meal — think slow-cooked beef, barbecued sausages or a rich tomato-based pasta — rather than light or delicate food that it would simply overwhelm.

It drinks well in its youth, and there is no need to wait, though the fruit and tannin here will happily carry it a few years further.