It’s taken me a while to get onto the story of Tin Shed’s 2021 Single Wire Shiraz, a wine that was released late last year, but I’m singing it from the rafters: this is an outstanding wine and you shouldn’t wait as long as I did to try it.
Produced from a single low-yielding vineyard in the Eden Valley, it is elegant and opulent with velvety tannins and layers of dark fruit and Christmas cake spices. It’s earned a seal of approval from Peter Clarke, who founded Tin Shed Wines in 1997 and produced the first vintage of Single Wire Shiraz the following year.
Claire Doughty and Daniel Killey bought Tin Shed from Peter in 2019 and after an almost five-year break, resurrected the Single Wire label. Peter says the wine is drinking beautifully. “This wine demonstrates why we believe in Eden Valley as a sub-region (of the Barossa) – it’s pure magic.”
Single Wire was – and remains – a wine that fits perfectly with Tin Shed’s philosophy of making a restrained, food-friendly wine, which in the 1990s was not the popular style that it is today.
Tin Shed began as a collaboration between winemaker and chef Peter and viticulturist Andrew Wardlaw. Their philosophy was simple – they wanted the character and care taken in the vineyard to shine. The pair experimented in the winery using wild ferments and minimal additives.
Under its new custodians, this approach hasn’t changed: making food-friendly, single-site Barossa wines using minimal intervention and loads of attention. Claire and Daniel are friends of Peter’s and were long-time consumers of Tin Shed Wines before buying the business so that he could focus on his other business, Vintners Bar & Grill.
Says Claire: “I was introduced to Tin Shed wines in 2006, and since then, these wines have been on-pour in our house. The story, flavours and personality of these wines resonated, and through the wine community, we became great friends with Clarkey.
“(He) is one of the most generous people we know, and his staying on as Tin Shed’s winemaker has been instrumental. While he continues to guide the wines, he influences so much more with his industry and wine knowledge, and there’s a reason we call him the master of flavours.
“We have a lot of fun collaborating as we continue to push Tin Shed’s mantra of ‘minimal intervention and loads of attention’, focusing on the winegrowing approach, flavour and the occasion.”
Claire says their portfolio will continue to be tightly focussed on classic Barossa varieties. All their wines are produced in Barossa, with grapes selected from small, single-vineyard blocks in both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. The current line-up includes a Riesling, Rosé, Grenache and two Shiraz labels, Melting Pot and the flagship Single Wire.
Long-term grower relationships are key to the quality of the wine. Grapes are sourced from growers who “have a sustainable perspective” ie. with a passion for organic wine-growing and minimal intervention, focusing on rain and recycled water, solar power, and minimal chemicals applied to the growing process.
All the wines are made organically and are vegan-friendly.
Tin Shed 2023 Wild Bunch Riesling, $28: Sourced from the Eden Valley which produces some of Australia’s finest Riesling, this wine is named after the ‘wild bunch’ that helped pick fruit for Tin Shed’s first Riesling in 2002. From an exceptionally good 2023 vintage, it has the beautiful acidity you’d expect of an Eden Valley Riesling, along with great texture and mouthfeel. Crisp and refreshing with delicate citrus and floral aromas followed by green apple, lemon and lime flavours.
Tin Shed 2023 All Day Rosé, $28: With a nod to Provence, this is a lovely quaffing wine any time of the day (hence the name). Made from Grenache from the Tscharke family vineyard in the Barossa, it has hints of cranberry and pomegranate with a zingy acidity.
Tin Shed 2021 Melting Pot Shiraz, $32: A big, rich Barossa Shiraz with a touch of spice on the nose and generous flavours of cherry, plum and blackberry. Vibrant and bright with fine tannins and a pleasing long finish.
Tin Shed 2021 Single Wire Shiraz, $65: From a single vineyard in the Eden Valley where the cool climate means slower ripening and, in turn, elegant high-quality wines, this flagship wine has velvety tannins and layers of dark fruit and Christmas cake spices. It spent eight more months in oak than the Melting Pot Shiraz, giving added complexity and finesse. This wine is such a treat, and most definitely worth the splurge for a special occasion.
More information: www.tinshedwines.com
Photos supplied by Tin Shed Wines and used with their permission.
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