2021 Spice Garden
The Spice Garden is a special part of the vineyard, uncovered as part of our work with Pedro Parra. Polygon 10... "a vomit of limestone in a sea of schist..." is always the central component, and with lifted florals, cool fruit character, spice and Barossa garrigue... there is a lot going on here. In a richer year this is complete and a perfectly poised follow up to the nervy 2020.
Estate grown and made
Certified organic and biodynamic fruit
100% Shiraz
130 cases and produced
13.9% alcohol
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"The 2021 Spice Garden Shiraz is a dark, gritty, febrile thing on the nose, with distant chimney smoke, charred eucalypt, blood plum skin, graphite/pencil shavings, dusted licorice and chewing tobacco. In the mouth, the wine is inky and intense—the chalky tannins cut in almost immediately and give the fruit an ashy plume of support that extends all the way into the back of the throat. It is chewy, lithe, supple, intriguing. There is a hint of plum jam in here— not overripe, per se, but plummy. There are also some notes of cloves. I'll look at this over the course of the coming days—I've been tripped up by these wines and their need for air in the past! Don't make the same mistake! 13.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.”
94+ points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
“Effusive nose of perfectly ripe plums and wild blackberries with a hint of something exotic. The well-crafted tannins are well matched with the ripe fruit and freshness. This only needs a little more time for all of this to come together beautifully. Excellent energy and length. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.”
94 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
"Certified organic and biodynamic shiraz from the Alkina estate in Greenock: 83% Polygon 10 (limestone), the remainder Polygon 1 (schist). Wild fermentation, 60% whole bunches, matured in a combination of concrete and large format seasoned oak. A beautiful vivid crimson with characters of super ripe plums, blackberry and boysenberry with hints of spice, roasting meats, almond blossom, earth, iodine, ironstone and licorice. Snappy limestone acid drive and chewy, ripe tannins to a savoury, pure and long finish. Great stuff."
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
