Cabernet shiraz blends are the pride and glory of South Australia and have defined its red winemaking history for some 140 years. The state still confidently dominates the top end of this category, and it is the warmer regions of McLaren Vale, the Barossa and Langhorne Creek that have excelled this year.
2023 Cabernet Shiraz of the Year
Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard The Peake Cabernet Shiraz 2020, McLaren Vale
97 points | Price when tasted $200
A blend of 52/48 per cent shiraz (destemmed) and cabernet sauvignon (crushed); eight to 12 days on skins and 12 months in French puncheons (25 per cent new). Winemaker Paul Hotker made full use of a brilliant growing season and harvest, with a juicy and sleek palate redolent with red and black fruits that caress every time you return to the supple mouthfeel and lingering finish. – James Halliday
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*This is an edited extract from the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Ned Goodwin MW, James Halliday, Erin Larkin, Jeni Port, Philip Rich and chief editor Tyson Stelzer.
Top image credit: Wine Australia.
