Snazzy Shiraz-zy Pack

• 2024 Lambert Syrah
• 2025 Paralian Springs Hill Vineyard Shiraz
• 2024 Vanguardist Oeno Syrah
• 2023 Spinifex Syrah
• 2024 Mada Syrah
• 2024 Vinden Shiraz Nouveau

2024 Lambert Syrah

Luke Lambert’s Syrah is a masterclass in restraint. Much like the man who makes it, it's a wine that's complex and nuanced rather than out-and-out power. The fruit comes from the sunnier western side of the Denton Hill, where thin soils and low yields give naturally concentrated berries.

In 2024, Lambert worked with 80% whole bunches, each ferment foot-stomped by Rosalind to gently burst the skins, coaxing perfume and texture from every berry. The wine was raised in a large, neutral French oak foudre to keep the fruit and site at the centre of the story.

It’s an especially expressive release and the richest of the last 4 years in our opinion: violet, blueberry and a smoky, lifted spice on the nose; juicy blue and black fruits on the palate, threaded with orange rind, anise and a dusting of tannin so fine it’s almost suede-like. There’s muscle in the wine, but it’s reined in by Lambert’s feather-light touch. The balance is spot-on, the detail precise, and the finish lingers long after the glass is empty.

This is Yarra Valley Syrah at its most elegant, and proof again why Luke Lambert remains one of Australia’s most compelling winemakers of his generation.

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2025 Paralian Springs Hill Vineyard Shiraz

This is the seventh release of Paralian Shiraz from Springs Hill, and one of Skye and Charlie's best to date. Sourced from two dry-grown blocks planted in 1975 and 1998, it’s classic Blewitt Springs - blue-fruited, finely structured and bright yet savoury.

The winemaking is a nod to the Northern Rhône, inspired by Charlie and Skye’s recent visit to the iconic Chave family in Mauves. They aim for an "unbroken thread" of site character, regardless of the vintage. The fruit was hand-picked and wild-fermented with a 20% whole-bunch component to lift the aromatics, then aged for 10 months in French oak puncheons (only 17% new)

There’s more depth this year, more spice, and a little more grip. It’s not trying to be loud or flashy. The power here is in the detail - dark berries, graphite, pepper, and just a flick of whole-bunch spice. It’s tight, pure and built to age. The Shiraz is consistently one of their best wines in the range, and the 2025 is no different.

97 points
"It’s a complex wine, high in detail, the tannin quality of the highest order, the drive and length compelling. The value for this quality and character is exceptional."
- Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

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2024 Vanguardist Oeno Syrah

The first release of the Oeno Syrah is another impressive addition to Michael Corbett’s growing line-up - a wine that mainlines the essence of Blewitt Springs through a modern, finely tuned lens.

Sourced entirely from Michael's beautiful Rende Vineyard, where old vines dig deep into the region’s sandy soils, this Syrah was fermented with 40% whole bunches before spending 14 months in one and two-year-old thick-stave puncheons. The approach keeps everything fresh and detailed, making a Shiraz in a more approachable mode.

It’s bright and perfumed: all blue and red fruits, cracked pepper, herbs and spice with a savoury, earthy edge that pulls everything together. The palate is finely structured, with a mineral thread running through it and tannins that shape rather than dominate.

For a debut release, this is a remarkably complete Syrah: pure, composed and full of energy. A wine that proves once again why Corbett’s touch with southern Australian reds is among the best in the country.

95 points
"Syrah by name, Syrah by nature. There’s a cool character here, even though the wine is nicely ripe, a hazelnut feel to tannin, with a nutty and fresh finish of excellent length, closing with some orange peel and juicy acidity. Bang on."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2023 Spinifex Syrah

Pete Schell has a real knack for showing a different side of the Barossa. While the region is famous for high-octane Shiraz, this Syrah is all about elegance and perfume. It’s essentially the lighter, more floral sibling to his bolder reds, sourced from about ten different plots across both the Barossa and the higher, cooler sites of the Eden Valley.

The vines range from 25 to 100 years old, but Pete picks the fruit a bit earlier to keep that bright, crunchy energy. In the cellar, he uses a mix of stainless steel, concrete, and large seasoned oak to let the wine breathe. He's always said it's far easier to overdo it than underdo it in the Barossa, so he takes a back seat here.

The 2023 is exactly what you want from this style - it’s savoury and lifted, full of dark berries, cracked pepper, and a bit of earthy spice. It’s got these fine, sinewy tannins and a fresh hit of acidity that makes it incredibly moreish.

If you’re after a Barossa red that feels sophisticated rather than heavy, this is the one. It’s stellar value for a wine with this much pedigree behind it and one of our go-to reds of the Barossa.

93 points
"This is an impeccable wine, impeccably made. It’s well flavoured, spicy, gently herbal, flushed with red and black berried fruit and beautifully structured... Everything is fine order here."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

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2024 Mada Syrah

The 2024 Syrah blends fruit from Hilltops and Canberra – two regions that balance each other out beautifully. Most of the fruit comes from a warm slope at Freemans Vineyard in Prunevale, bringing plush berries and a smooth, generous core. A smaller portion from Poachers Vineyard in Murrumbateman adds spice, lift and a touch of savoury detail.

Hamish keeps the winemaking pared back as always – gentle fermentation, maturation split between ceramic and old French oak. The idea is to capture brightness and shape without losing that natural flow he’s known for.

It’s vibrant and aromatic, showing red and blue fruit, pepper and subtle herbs. The palate is silky and open, fresh through the finish but with enough depth to hold your attention. A beautiful balance of ripeness and restraint, and just way to easy to drink!

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2024 Vinden Shiraz Nouveau

Angus Vinden is one of the sharpest young winemakers in the Hunter, and his Shiraz Nouveau is a brilliant example of how he’s pushing the region forward while staying true to its roots.

This is Shiraz made for the here and now – bright, juicy and wonderfully perfumed. Sourced from Angus’s own vineyard (planted in 1995) and a site in Broke, it’s wild-fermented with a touch of whole bunch and then aged in concrete and old oak. The result is a light, energetic red full of red berries, spice and a little floral lift.

It’s the kind of wine that takes Hunter Shiraz in a fresher, more playful direction. Best served with a slight chill, it’s perfect for warm afternoons, casual dinners and those times you just want a glass that goes down easy.

Modern Hunter Shiraz at its most delicious.

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