Neldner Road Shiraz 2021 ($100 @ Cellar Door!)

"I have spent most of my career in the Barossa, in particular the warm and sunny Marananga of the Western Barossa Valley. However, I also learned early on to have great respect for the cooler, high hills of Flaxman’s Valley in Eden Valley. I understand their differences but equal greatness of the two regions and want my wines to reflect that. Therefore, my production is derived from both regions. My most premium wines are two single-vineyard Shirazes – one from Flaxman’s Valley in Eden and one from Marananga in the Barossa.

The six vineyards I chose to represent our single vineyard series: two Shiraz vineyards from each the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, one Grenache vineyard and one Mataro vineyard. Some of these vineyards are the same vines that I first brought back to life and have now been tending to for over two decades. Many now live well into their second century of age. I named our single-vineyard wines after the original settling family that had the foresight to plant those vines in the variety and soil that they did over one hundred years ago. For those people, I will be eternally grateful.

I make five wines under our regional series, which showcase traditional styles of wines that have been made in the Barossa and stood the test of time: a Grenache Shiraz Mataro blend; a blend of Barossa and Eden Valley Shiraz, a Western Barossa Valley Shiraz and an Eden Valley Riesling. In this series, we also produce a Barossa Valley Marsanne, which I recognize as one of the great white wine styles of the world and is the most premium white wine that I make." Dave Powell | Owner & Winemaker

"The volume of fruit here is excellent, as is the smoothness of the texture, as is the fine grain of the tannin. Every nuance here has been beautifully ordered, delivered and arranged. It tastes of rich plum, sweet blackberry, hay, cedarwood and choc-orange, the latter infused deliciously throughout. This wine is as substantial as it is delicious." 94pts | Campbell Mattinson