20HJweb | 2024

2020 HJ Shiraz

$85.00 / bottle

HJ was a lover and a fighter. He fought to win the affections of his sweetheart Marjorie, before serving in WWII. He then fought to realise his vision of seeing the Taranga property produce only high quality grapes. This commenced with his planting of the ‘Old Block’ Shiraz in 1948 – the same McLaren Vale vines that form the base of this reserve Shiraz today – one of McLaren Vale’s best Shiraz.

Specifications Reviews Video

Specifications

Region

Region

Taranga vineyard, McLaren Vale. Sourced from the ‘Old Block’, planted by HJ Oliver in 1948.

Winemaker

Winemaker

Corrina Wright, 6th Generation

Winemaking

Winemaking

Vegan friendly. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certified.

Grape Variety

Grape Variety

100% SHIRAZ

History

History

This is the 19th release of our Langtons classified HJ Shiraz. The HJ is picked from our very best parcels of old vine Shiraz on the Taranga vineyard in McLaren Vale – it has been barrel selected and bottle aged for your optimum enjoyment. Named after our grandfather Herbert John ‘HJ’ Oliver, we know he would be very proud of his namesake wine. The HJ joins the DJ Cabernet and RW Grenache as ‘The Greats’, wines representing family members who have been instrumental in the creation of a great multi-generational family business.

Aroma

Aroma

Fruitcake spice, chocolatey mocha, cherry and anise.

Wine & Vintage

Wine & Vintage

2020 was a challenging vintage in a challenging world. There was a significant lack of rain through winter and spring, and an early heat spike during grape set that resulted in loss of crop. Hence, 2020 was an extremely low tonnage vintage, with the added bonus of a global pandemic! Thankfully what quantity we lost was more than made up for by the superb quality, so our loss is your gain. It just means there's much less to go round...

Palate

Palate

Smoked pepper melding with mocha and blackberry cherry fruits, leading to a core of beautiful plummy fruits with a wet asphalt mineral note. So much power, yet so much finesse. Super fresh and supple drinking now, but the HJ will reward cellaring for those so inclined.

Colour

Colour

Deep maroon

Alcohol

Alcohol

14.5%

Reviews

Deep crimson. Espresso, panforte, dark cherry, plum aromas with mocha notes. Smooth velvety wine with ample choc-berry fruits, panforte notes, fine ripe tannins and integrated mocha, vanilla, peat smoke complexity. Finishes chocolaty and long. A sweet and savoury wine with linear fresh acidity that is worth keeping for a while to let the elements fold together. Drink now to 2032. 95 points

- Andrew Caillard MW

This McLaren vale shiraz comes from an old block planted in 1974 with the Reynella clone. Follows a similar approach to the grenache with open fermentation and no additions of acid, tannin or sulphur following indigenous yeast fermentation. The extra richness and weight has enabled a small amount of new oak influence which brings a nice lift and energy to the palate. So fine and smoothly balanced there is a strong sense of tasting the vineyard here. 96 points

- Ray Jordan

Open-fermented under the aegis of ambient yeast before mlf in barrel, sulphuring and time in bottle before release. Typical warm-climate shiraz. Chocolatey, meaty and rich, with abundant fruitcake spice, dark-fruit allusions and oak. Albeit mercifully, tannins are well hewn for compression and focus. Uncanny levels of freshness. Plenty to like. 93 points

- Ned Goodwin MW

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