2022 Pirathon Blue Shiraz

Pirathon’s Blue label punches way above its price tag. It’s a barrel selection from top vineyard sites across the north-western Barossa — the kind of Shiraz that usually costs a whole lot more. Rich, dark-fruited and generous without tipping into overkill, this is classic Barossa with a bit of polish and balance baked in.

Fermented in open vats and matured in mostly French oak for 18 months (including a handful of new barrels), it’s a proper, hands-on, small-batch red at a price that feels a bit old-school. The fruit’s the star here — ripe, bold and satisfying — but the tannins and oak are handled smartly so it still feels fresh and well-structured.

2022 was a lower-yielding, high-quality vintage, which means more concentration and intensity in the glass. You’d be hard-pressed to find more Barossa bang-for-buck than this.