Review: Cape Barren Native Goose Shiraz Grenache 2021

Cape Barren has recently been folded into the CW Wines portfolio (which seems to be always growing). The old Cape Barren Blewitt Springs vineyard came with the sale (I think), which is the jewel in the crown. Anyway, this Native Goose Shiraz Grenache is McLaren Vale fruit, and matured in American and French oak, which is an increasingly rare combo in the Vale (where American oak popularity has been waning for years). This is plump and glossy and berried too. It’s a bit soft, with little tannins, and more about boysenberry fruit. But the redcurrrant, coconut, purple (Shiraz), and red (Grenache) fruit combo is easily appealing.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: now and for at least five years (and some)
• Score (out of 20): 17
• Score (out of 100): 90
• Alcohol %: 14.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 30
• Winery website: https://www.cwwines.com/
• Would I buy it?: a glass