Toolangi D Block Shiraz 2019

After years of (arguably) living in the shadow of the Pinot, Toolangi’s Shiraz is now starting to flex its muscles. The grapes are cultivated and harvested with freshness to the fore and the winemaking has been re-focused along the same lines. In short, with emphasis on elegance, balance and sustained purity, Toolangi’s Shiraz wines have never tasted better. None of this should surprise really, the Yarra has long been
capable of producing outstanding Syrah.

The inaugural D Block draws on a parcel of 24-year-old vines grown on silty clay loam soil. The clonal material here is PT23 Shiraz—an old Australian clone selected from vines which were descendants of the 1832 Busby cuttings—on Paulson rootstock. The 2019 was 100% whole-bunch fermented, then pressed after three weeks on skins to French oak hogsheads. It spent 10 months on oak prior to bottling.

This is a super spicy, bunchy and powdery Syrah of great finesse (don’t come here for ballsy, old school Barossa-style Shiraz—we’re in the Yarra after all). This is for lovers of the Northern Rhone and great Yarra Syrahs of yesteryear (at least in terms of weight, finesse and freshness). Again, a must-taste for those in the trade. Will only get better with at least 5-10 years in the cellar.

95 - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion "Fermented with 100% whole bunches, 3 weeks on skins before being pressed to French hogsheads for 10 months. So finely tuned and rather beautiful. While there are flashes of fruit, this is savoury. Juniper, aniseed balls, ironstone, a woodland of herbs and nori in the mix. It has definition and power but works off a medium-bodied palate finishing with sandy tannins and great persistence. Bravo."

94 - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Intense small black berries, graphite, a little smoke and plenty of spice, roast beef and aniseed. It’s medium-bodied, cool and fine, graphite tannin, meaty and peppery, but with sweet blackcurrant and blackberry flavour. Finish is long and spicy, savoury and pinched with fresh bramble berry acidity, perfume and stony coolness. It’s an excellent wine. Succulent, yet fine boned.”

95 - Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Deep nose, black olives, boudin noir and cracked pepper notes. Dark fruits open the palate with depth and concentration. Very long and weighty, still in a primary phase currently but with time the savoury characters seen on the nose do show their complexity into the finish. Very long, with fine-boned but driving tannins carrying everything long and lingering."

93 - Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com "Very attractive, spiced blueberries and blackberries, as well as redder, raspberry notes, as well as chocolate and graphite. Sappy and lively, the palate is impressively cast in long, glossy ripe tannins, delivering dark-berry and chocolate flavours into the long, juicy finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap."