Five smart new 2012 Shiraz under $30

Five smart new 2012 Shiraz under $30

I actually picked this five out before noticing that they were all 2012, but that’s of no surprise. It was a vintage that had many South Australian and Victorian Shiraz makers wetting themselves with excitement. The Eden Road is carried more on skillful winemaking than a superior vintage, marking another success for the Eden Road crew.


Eden Road Long Road Shiraz 2012 (Gundagai)
13%, Screwcap, $28

Unusual fruit sourcing for this re – 92% Gundagai, 5% Canberra and 3% Hilltops. The Eden Road boys aren’t afraid of taking a different approach and it certainly works here, balancing up the open easy, grape Hubba Bubba fruit richness (lifted up thanks to a little Viognier) with a dash of whole bunch spiciness. That 15% whole bunch makes plenty difference actually, giving shape and twiggy tannic firmness to what is a quite juicy, lightish sort of a wine. Pretty smart drinking, all said and done.
17.5/20, 91/100
Buy online: Different Drop, Eden Road website

Soumah Shiraz 2012 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
13.2%, Screwcap, $25

Attractive packaging, refreshing wines. That’s the Soumah ethos, with this wine towing the light and fresh mode nicely. It smells of black pepper over black plum, the fruit and oak quite full considering the mid weight, cool clime style, the palate carrying plenty of acidity to keep everything quite vital, the tannins quite pithy. Too plummy and oaky to be confused with a Euro Syrah, yet carries the freshness to make it rather tasty. I liked. 17.7/20, 92/100+
Buy online: Soumah website
Veronique Foundation Shiraz 2012 (Barossa, SA)
14.5%, Screwcap, $22

A new name to me and very sharply priced. Sourced from vineyards in Greenock and Eden Valley, this spent 20 months in French and American oak with just 570 dozen produced. Gee it’s impressively full flavoured too, perhaps verging on overripeness with a nose and palate heavy with the sort of boozy, choc bullet ultra concentration (low yields my guess) and sweet coffed oak. For many other Greenock sourced wines you’d expect to pay double this price, making the $22 ultra impressive. Full, decadent and heady, full tilt Barossan Shiraz. 17.5/20, 91/100
Buy online: Veronique website

Chapel Hill Parsons Shiraz 2012 (McLaren Vale, SA)
14.5%, Screwcap, $16

The Parsons Nose has become more and more of a Chapel Hill Shiraz in recent years, with the house style more evident than ever (which is a good thing). Full red berry richness on the nose, the palate grunty and rather grown up for this price point – big and round and inky. No finesse and less than perfect tannins, but gee this packs a helluva big black fruit punch for the dollars. 16.8/20, 89/100
Buy online: Dan Murphys, Auswine, Chapel Hill website


Taltarni Sparkling Shiraz 2012 (Victoria)
14%, Cork, $26

A new release from Taltarni and already looks the goods. I’m guessing that there is a fair bit of Pyrenees and Heathcote fruit in the blend given the mint and dark chocolate nose. The palate concentration is pretty impressive too, with full and ripe berried fruit before a surprisingly dry, tannic and spearminty finish (which points towards Pyrenees fruit for sure). Quality base wine methinks, with plenty of weight to really carry this forward. I’d drink it for sure.
17.5/20, 91/100
Buy online: Taltarni website

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Andrew Graham Avatar

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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