2023 Brokenwood Rayner Vineyard Shiraz
2023 Brokenwood Rayner Vineyard Shiraz

2023 Brokenwood Rayner Vineyard Shiraz

97 pts
Brokenwood |McLaren Vale |Shiraz
An elegant, perfumed Shiraz from McLaren Vale’s historic Rayner Vineyard, showing freshness, charm and plenty of depth.
Price:
$110.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

WINERY OF THE YEAR! - 2026 Halliday Wine Companion

Brokenwood might be best known for the Hunter, but their McLaren Vale wines have become real favourites – especially this single-vineyard Shiraz from Rayner. The vineyard itself is a bit of a treasure, planted back in the 50s on the sandy soils of Blewitt Springs, a patch that always gives wines with perfume and lift rather than just sheer power.

2023 was a cooler year in the Vale, so the fruit ripened slowly and came in with great freshness. The winemaking was kept simple – small ferments, mostly older French oak – just enough to frame the fruit without taking over.

The wine feels bright and generous, with plenty of red and dark fruit, a touch of spice and that smooth, flowing texture that Blewitt Springs is loved for. It’s delicious already but has the bones to go the distance if you’ve got the patience.

This is McLaren Vale Shiraz with a lighter hand – elegant, characterful and a reminder of why the Rayner vineyard is held in such high regard.

97 points
"It has magnificent depth... Fragrant, supple and polished."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

97 points - "Grapes from the Rayner vineyard were crushed in McLaren Vale and fermented in the Hunter Valley. After pressing, fermentation was completed in French oak puncheons (12% new), where the wine remained for 16 months. It has magnificent depth, with deep, cool boysenberry fruit and micro-flecks of cacao, strawberry matcha and raspberry-plum crumble. The high-quality oak introduces the perfect amount of savouriness without an over-assertion of character. Fragrant, supple and polished." - Toni Paterson (Halliday Wine Companion)

Medium-full density Shiraz, typical of the McLaren Vale region. Lifted dark fruit pastille aromas, plum and vanillin oak in the background. Subtle fruit on entry builds to black fruits and dark chocolate on the palate, with a medium to full-bodied mouth feel and persistent length. A stylish Shiraz and one to age over the long term.

Vinification
Crushed and chilled to tanker in McLaren Vale and then in the Hunter Valley within 36 hours. Fermented in a single static 5 tonne fermenter and pumped over twice per day. Pressed to oak just before the end of fermentation. This wine has been matured in 100% French oak puncheons, 33% being new for 16 months.

Winemaker Comments
Previously made between 1993 and 2007, the Shiraz grapes for this wine are not from the 1950 plantings but from a block right next door and planted in the early 1990s. A feature of the vineyard, which is just outside the town of McLaren Vale in South Australia, is the deep sand over clay soils. The McLaren Vale Wine Region experienced good winter rainfall filling the soil profile in readiness for spring. Continued wet and cold conditions throughout spring delayed budburst and resulted in slower shoot growth. Spring rainfall was higher than the McLaren Vale winter average. Multiple rain events during spring resulted in increased disease pressure and inflorescence loss, some varieties being more affected than others. The combination of late flowering and cool summer conditions resulted in a late harvest period. Once again cool wet autumn conditions combined to further slow ripening and prolong vintage. Cool conditions throughout the season were a feature of the 2023 harvest. McLaren Valle had good winter rainfall which gave a full soil profile to start the season. The cooler conditions during the growing seasons resulted in slow vine growth and late flowering. One of the later harvests for number of years. A challenging season resulting in wines of great finesse.

Food Pairing
Pairs well with all rich red meat dishes.

Drink
Drinking well now in its youth but will develop into a lovely mature dry red over medium to long term cellaring.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Shiraz
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Brokenwood

Brokenwood is one of the Hunter Valley’s great stories. What started back in 1970 as a weekend hobby for a couple of Sydney lawyers has grown into one of Australia’s most respected wineries, without ever losing that original sense of fun and adventure. From the beginning they set the standard for Hunter Semillon, a style they still lead the charge on today.

These days Chief Winemaker Stuart Hordern carries the torch, crafting brilliant Hunter classics and also drawing on fruit from some of the country’s best regions. Think plush McLaren Vale Shiraz, elegant Victorian Chardonnay, and powerful Beechworth Cabernet, all made with the same Brokenwood touch.

The Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz has long been one of Australia’s most collectable reds, but the wines across the range share a common thread: purity, balance and a real sense of place. At the same time, the team here has always kept things down-to-earth. They’re serious about sustainability and quality, but never take themselves too seriously.

Brokenwood has grown up, but it still carries the spark of those early days. If you want a producer that combines Hunter Valley history with a modern, generous spirit, you’ve found it.

The Winemaking team at Brokenwood Brokenwood

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