Head Wines The Contrarian Shiraz 2021

The Wine Front – 80% Flaxman Valley, 20% Stone Well. 25% whole bunch. Old French oak. Perfumed, dark red fruits, spice, a smattering of sage and mint. Medium-bodied, supple and juicy, a subtle blood orange flavour in the mix, fresh and lively, with a bright crushed berry aftertaste, and fine sooty tannin grip. Lovely. All just so. 26 September 2022

James Halliday – Whole-bunch fermentation and maturation in large format oak. Uncommonly deep colour given the whole bunches, likewise the density of the savoury black fruits. It's hard to reconcile this wine and its 2020 sibling (red cherry fruits), but so be it. While rich and medium- to full-bodied, the black fruits and spice (rather than tannins) carry the day. - James Halliday Wine Companion Awards 20242 August 2023

James Suckling – This is an intense and heirloom-style shiraz with blackberry, black mushroom, spice, bark, and a dark earth character. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and a tight, focused finish. Mushroom skin and fruit, yet a subdued ending. Give it time to open. Drink after 2024 for it to soften. 13 October 2022

Huon Hooke – Deep, bright red-purple hue, the bouquet reserved and earthy/pepper/spicy, the wine is intense in the middle-palate, lively and energetic with good acidity and tight focus. Very smart wine in a leaner and more elegant Barossa style. 4 February 2023