Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Shiraz 2021

The 2021 Hunter Valley Shiraz is very reductive upon opening, but it works its way out of the glass with some swirling. Beneath it, there is black pepper, pink peppercorns, plenty of fresh, spicy acidity, sumac, iodine, poached strawberries and star anise. There's a nettle-y quality to the acidity that I find quite pleasant, but I think really what the wine needs is some air. If you can give it some—either in your glass or a decanter—I believe the wine will be even more enjoyable. It has lovely fruit but is frisky as all get up for now. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

This has attractive red berries with some earth, crushed-stone, forest-wood and coal-dust notes, too. The palate is flavorful, yet elegant and has deep, red-fruit flavors with smooth-honed tannins. Juicy, long and fresh. Drink or hold.

This Shiraz was open-top fermented and matured in older, large-format French oak casks, resulting in a wine focused on fruit purity. With some air, the plump blueberries and currants are underpinned by flowers, spice, hoisin and warm stone nuances. The palate is unexpectedly powerful, with chiseled, slightly drying tannins, although it still resides in medium-bodied territory. It shows off the distinctive style of the region as well as the winery