Koomilya JC Block Shiraz 2022

At Koomilya, the philosophical heart of the project is the conviction that wine must express its origin—that great wines should taste unmistakably of where they come from, rather than being the product of heavy winemaking artifice. This belief drives every vineyard and cellar decision: the vines are farmed with minimal intervention, under-vine cultivation is gentle, ground-cover is encouraged, irrigation is pared back, and the surrounding native scrubland is preserved as part of the ecosystem. The site’s soils—ancient slaty siltstones flecked with ironstone—along with the cool-air drainage from nearby bushland, form a unique microclimate which gives the wines brightness, structural tension and depth.

In the winery, the style is purposefully restrained: mature large-format oak and neutral barrels are used rather than new oak; ferments are often balanced to retain freshness; the focus is on tannin structure, texture and purity rather than overt power. Steve describes his aim as creating Shiraz “that harks back to tradition… without all the artifice of winemaking.” The result is wines of intensity and age-worthiness, yet elegance and transparency—wines which are a faithful record of soil, vine and vintage. In short: at Koomilya the vineyard is paramount, the site is honoured, and the wine is allowed to be rather than to impress.