2022 Varietal Winners

Top Rated: Shiraz

By The Tasting Team
In an age in which everything new is cool (varieties, regions, producers, techniques), it remains that Australia’s top-performing variety is good ol’ shiraz and its only close contender is chardonnay. The diversity of Australian shiraz has never been more profound, and our best-of list spans five states and 13 regions. 

From the cool reaches of Porongurup and Canberra to the might of the Barossa and McLaren Vale, we never cease to be in awe of the remarkable dexterity of this chameleon variety across this vast continent. It was three of the more elegant styles that separated themselves from the pack of 15 hopefuls in our final Awards judging: Mount Pleasant, Tyrrell’s and Yarra Yering, with Tyrrell’s claiming a worthy first place for the Hunter Valley in the final vote.

Find out more about shiraz in our essential guide.

2019 Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz

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This is one of the finest Australian shiraz/syrah I have come across in a long time. So finely tuned, aromatic and fresh it makes my head spin. Violet, iodine, purple fruit persuasions and a swathe of the most beautiful, shapely tannins, like pinions of savoury enforcement riddling olive and smoked meat across the mid-weighted palate. Clearly fruit comes off a site as beautiful as the hands that crafted this wine. – Ned Goodwin MW

*This is an edited extract from the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Jane Faulkner, James Halliday, Erin Larkin, Tony Love, Ned Goodwin MW, Jeni Port and chief editor Tyson Stelzer.

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