Best's Great Western White Gravels Hill Shiraz 2012

Best’s White Gravels Hill Great Western Shiraz 2012

This is largely a cellar door only job, but one worth hunting out (though Great Western really is the middle of nowhere, so maybe just buy it online). The memory of the 1997 Best’s Shiraz is still lodged within my brain and this has plenty of that classic DNA. Good memories.

While this is sourced from the original Concongella vineyard, it comes from a higher, gravelly spot (the white gravel is a reef quartz), above the winery, planted in the 90s. There’s more whole bunch compared to the Bin 1 Shiraz too, giving this more meatiness and less sweet fruit.

It’s packed full of Great Western Shiraz goodness too, with that classic plum essence cast in a warm year, fully expressive mode of plum, mulberry and spice. Actually it’s quite moderate, coiled and almost black fruited – definitely less fruit driven than the Bin 1. Works too. Still a warm year wine in its thickness, and maybe a little chubby to be great. But still, this has that expansive plum fruit without excess sweetness that makes Great Western Shiraz good.

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