Kirkton Estate, 'The Katherine' Shiraz, 2023, Adelaide Hills (GI)

'One-Liner'
Cool-climate Australian Shiraz with a softer touch – dark berries, cassis and spice with supple fruit and a savoury, earthy finish.

Tasting Note
Deep ruby in colour, with generous aromas of blackberry, cassis and ripe plum layered with dark chocolate, spice and a subtle leathery note. The palate is rich in fruit but pleasingly supple, with ripe blackberries and dark plums carried by soft tannins and the freshness that marks out Shiraz from the Adelaide Hills. Savoury spice and earthy notes emerge beneath the fruit, bringing extra depth without making the wine feel heavy. There is a lovely balance between generosity and restraint here, avoiding the jamminess sometimes associated with warmer-climate Australian Shiraz. The finish is dry, smooth and lingering, with dark fruit and gentle spice remaining behind.

Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Sub-Region: Adelaide Hills GI
Grape(s): 100% Shiraz
ABV: 14%
Friendly: n/a

Awards & Critics' Scores
n/a

The Story
Kirkton Estate’s story reaches back to the beginnings of Australian wine itself and the remarkable Busby family. The historic Kirkton property became closely associated with James Busby, whose studies of European viticulture, collection of hundreds of vine cuttings and early writings on grape growing helped earn him the title ‘Father of the Australian Wine Industry’. The Katherine takes its name from James’s sister Katherine, who became an important part of the Kirkton story when she and her husband William Kelman took responsibility for the family property. For this wine, Kirkton looks beyond its Hunter Valley roots to the cooler Adelaide Hills, where altitude, cool nights and a long growing season give Shiraz an altogether more elegant personality – dark-fruited and generous, certainly, but with freshness, spice and restraint running through it.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Braised lamb with rosemary and garlic
- Vegetarian: Roast beetroot, goat’s cheese and caramelised shallot Wellington
- Vegan: Miso–sesame roasted aubergine with herby couscous