Old vines, cool year, serious talent behind the wheel - this is McLaren Vale Shiraz reimagined with a lighter, more detailed touch. From a vintage that was both late and cool, the 2023 MMAD Shiraz offers up remarkable intensity without ever feeling heavy. Picked over an extended window from vines planted in 1941, the fruit was handled gently - some whole bunch, a mix of concrete and large-format oak - to draw out perfume and shape rather than sheer power.

And it shows. There’s spice here, but not in a showy way - more like a quiet thread of anise, pepper, and earth stitched through a core of dark cherry, cassis and rose. You get lift, structure and a mineral pulse thanks to the sandy, ironstone-rich soils of Blewitt Springs. Tannins are firm but fine, with graphite grip that gives the wine its frame.

This is a wine that’s not looking to be loud. It’s tightly coiled now, but clearly built to age - bright, sinewy and quietly complex.