By James Atkinson
Wine critics James Halliday and Jeremy Oliver have given a ringing endorsement to Wynns Coonawarra Estate's first ever Black Label Shiraz, released this week as part of the winery's new vintage collection.
At the Wynnsday 2012 event in Coonawarra, Halliday said the Black Label Shiraz 2010 was "a really, seriously good wine".
He said that with all its flavour and complexity, the wine was only 13.5 per cent ABV, highlighting that "you don't need high alcohol to have flavour".
"If certain regions don't take notice of that, they should do." [continues below]
The Wynnsday 2012 panel: (L-R) Allen Jenkins, Sue Hodder, James Halliday, Deborah Hutton and Jeremy Oliver
Jeremy Oliver described the new Black Label Shiraz as "joyful" and distinctly different to the other Shiraz wines in the new collection.
"If that wine was just like another baby Michael, it could be less interesting, but it's got its own personality," he said.
Wynns chief winemaker Sue Hodder said the decision to release the Black Label Shiraz follows years of work in the vineyards by Wynns viticulturalist Allen Jenkins.
She said the winemaking team had a surplus of quality fruit that didn't belong in either the entry level Wynns Shiraz or the top tier Michael release, so releasing a Black Label Shiraz was a logical move.
Click here to relive the Wynnsday online masterclass with Sue Hodder and a panel of esteemed experts.