Sidewood Estate, Mappinga Shiraz, Adelaide Hills, 2015

Sidewood was only founded in 2004, but is now the largest sustainable winery in the Adelaide Hills. Should you ever visit the estate in the autumn or winter, you may do a double-take at the sight of flocks of sheep nibbling their way between the rows of vines. These are not escapees from the nearby farm, but an integral part of Sidewood’s methodology, acting as roaming weed killers and fertilisers, where the environment is at the core of its practices. Winemaker Darryl Catlin covers the hard yards in the vineyards, selecting the best fruit from the best parcels for this Shiraz. It is fermented in barrel, with 25%-30% whole bunch, after which it spends 18 months in new and one-year-old French barriques. Tine Gellie: Lovely savoury aromas of spiced leather lead into a developing fruit palate of dark berries and sappy, whole-bunch fruit tannins. Refreshing acidity makes it very quaffable. A top-drawer Shiraz that will mature well. Roger Jones: A beautiful, savoury nose leads into a palate of gentle, evolving fruit with classy, restrained elegance. It has nice acidity, making this fresh, clean, vibrant and exciting - a real feminine style. Just stunning. Anthony Rose: Excellent vibrant, spicy aromatics are followed by an intense and concentrated palate with a rich, dark berry quality. It has a spine of incisive cool-climate acidity and firm, sinewy tannins for structure. Finessed and complete.