Product Description:
The Clare Valley’s most elusive Shiraz, in peak vintage form.
The 2021 Wendouree Shiraz is a study in restraint and raw power, drawn from dry-grown vines planted in 1893 and 1919. Crafted by Tony and Lita Brady—custodians of one of Australia’s most storied vineyards—this is a wine that transcends cult status. It isn’t sold online, has no cellar door, and the only way to get on the mailing list is by handwritten letter. Yet year after year, it remains one of Australia’s most prized and long-lived red wines.
Sourced from bush vines on red loam over limestone, the fruit delivers an unmistakable Wendouree signature—dense, savoury, and structured. The 2021 vintage, cool and balanced, has produced a Shiraz of breathtaking elegance and longevity, with a tightly woven frame of tannin and layered complexity that will see it evolve beautifully for decades.
Drink it now with serious decanting, or cellar with confidence until 2050. Either way, this is one for the serious collector.
Maker
The Wendouree, crafted by Tony and Lita Brady, remains a true representation of its origins since the vines were first planted by Alfred Percy Birks in 1893. Considered by many as one of Australia's greatest Shirazes, this wine is made from low-yielding, beautifully formed old vines, many of which are from the original plantings. The vineyard is managed with low-input viticulture and the winemaking process is laissez-faire, allowing the wine to truly speak of its place. Wendouree wines are renowned for their exceptional quality and rich heritage, with the celebrated Wendouree Shiraz standing out as a true gem.
This wine is derived from the estate's original 1893 plantings, believed to be genetic material from the original James Busby collection. Located on an easterly ridge towards the northern edge of the Clare Valley, the unirrigated Wendouree vineyards have shallow, meagre soils with red loam over limestone. The low-yielding old shiraz vines produce small berries with thick skins and a high seed content, resulting in a wine with exceptional depth and complexity. Despite its reputation and heritage, there are remarkably few older bottles of Wendouree wines in circulation. This can be attributed to the way the wines were sold until 1974, when they were sold in bulk and bottled and marketed by merchants, resulting in blended and single varietal shiraz wines being almost never seen. Wendouree wines are a testament to the quality of the vineyards and the winemakers' dedication to crafting exceptional wines. The Wendouree Shiraz, in particular, showcases the unique terroir of the Clare Valley and the heritage of the original James Busby collection, making it a true standout among Australian wines.
The Clare Valley wine region is located in South Australia and is known for producing exceptional Riesling wines, as well as other varietals such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Chardonnay. The region's vineyards are planted on shallow, meagre soils with red loam over limestone, contributing to the unique terroir of the wines. The climate is warm to hot in summers and cool in winters. The region is divided into five districts, each producing distinct wine styles. The Clare Valley has won countless international awards and is a must-visit destination for wine enthusiasts.
The Vineyard
The vineyard itself is the dominating factor in the quality of the wines. Established in 1892, some of the vines are now well over 100 years old. In one block, a plot of bush-trained Shiraz dates from 1892 and another from 1893, while a parcel of trellised Mataro (Mourvèdre) has been grafted onto vines dating from 1898. Further from the winery, in what is known as the eastern block, there’s more Shiraz planted in 1919 and 1920 and some Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec grafted over onto 1920s rootstock. The most recent plantings date from 1975 and the early 1980s. In all, there are 12 Ha of vines, a historical look into the Clare Valley viticultural past.
The vineyards are unirrigated and planted on mainly red loam over limestone. There’s also a block on shale and a parcel that has sandier loam. The elevation is at 450–530m at the eastern block but despite this, the harvest for reds is typically two weeks earlier at Wendouree than elsewhere in the Clare Valley. Yields turn around just less than 30hl/ha.
The grapes are hand-harvested, basket pressed and fermentation takes place in open-top fermenters with hand plunging of the grape cap. The malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wines are then aged in 300-litre fine-grain French oak barrels, 25% new, for a year. It's an old school approach meaning that the only concessions to the modern age, is an area small laboratory for analysis, stainless steel to line the fermenters and in tanks for blending, and a tiny bottling line. Blending is carried out after the barrel aging and the wines are bottled with just a light filter.
Tasting Notes
NOSE
– Savoury and expressive
Boscobel rose, bramble, pomegranate molasses, blood, and star anise over earthy brick dust and tobacco.
PALATE
– Structured and dense
Blackberry, cranberry, aniseed and graphite-laced tannins lead into a deep core of spice, iodine, and crushed fennel.
FINISH
– Long and commanding
Elongated and tightly coiled, with lingering dark fruit, coal dust and savoury herbs, built to unfurl over decades.
Reviews & Accolades
“This is a pretty sensational wine… ages prodigiously and here, through the lens of this balanced and cool vintage, one that has never looked better.” – Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate, 98 Points
“A wine of presence and quiet confidence… one of the best Shiraz wines from Wendouree that I can recall tasting.” – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 96+ Points
“Juicy fruit-sweet core. Long, long carry. A vintage of intensity and great elegance.” – Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 96 Points
Finer Details:
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Clare Valley
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.8%
Drink By - 2050
Closure - Screw Cap
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