LEASK SHIRAZ
We put our family name and crest to this wine, a testament to our clan motto “by virtue we grow” as top Shiraz requires patience and respect to grow & craft. Only made in what we see as exceptional years from this site, the previous vintages being 2018, 2016 and 2012. This version is particularly unique as since this wine was released, the vineyard it was on has now been planted out as a biodiversity haven. So, the last of an era as we seek out the next special place. Limited, bold and age worthy, we feel proud of it.
Reviews of 2021 Leask Shiraz:
5 stars, 95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, January 2024:
Inky, dark and opaque in the glass, an impressive colour. Deep, dark and brooding aromas of plum, blackberry, bramble, cedary oak, dried herbs and anise. Powerful, plush and concentrated in flavour. Plum, mulberry, blackberry and sweet oak flavours are all at play in a very decadent way. The tannins are firm and shapely and work well to tame the opulent fruit.
Reviews of 2018 Leask Shiraz:
95 points (gold), 2021 The Real Review, Huon Hooke:
A lovely, dark, impenetrable purple in the glass. Black cherry, olive tapenade, iodine and dried herbs are the features of the aromatics. There's plenty bubbling away here, quite evocative. Powerful but balanced flavours of dark plum and black cherry, there's also some 70% cacao chocolate and creamy oak adding structure, texture and mouthfeel. The tannins have an obvious presence ensuring all that power is focused and the length is long, firm and serious.
93 Points, WineFront, Mike Bennie:
Top flight wine from the good folks at Hither & Yon. Powerful red, deep and dark. Brooding and feels like it’s just a wee baby. Ripe plum, sticky salted liquorice, woody spice, truffle and earth. Big and bold. Throaty and warm. Dark chocolate tannins all powdery and assertive. Done well, no missing this wine.
93 Points, James Suckling, June 2021:
Very attractive red berries and cherries here with some earth and chocolate too. The palate has a smooth feel with plush, gently grainy tannins carrying long. Approachable.
90 Points, Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2020.
Reviews of 2016 Leask Shiraz:
James Halliday, Wine Companion, August 2018, 94 points.
This must have come from a very special site, with no frills vinification. It is medium to full-bodied, with exceptional mouthfeel, velvety but not the least heavy, the role of oak limited. It all works well. 26 years old vines, hand-picked, open-fermented, matured in used French puncheons for 18 months.
