Hentley Farm Shiraz 2023

As a Shiraz, winning Best Shiraz at the Barossa Valley Wine Show must be one of the hardest wine awards to achieve - Barossa and Shiraz is like Clare Valley & Riesling or cabernet and Margaret River.  To win such an award is a big deal.  For a wine that's a touch above $30 to do this is momentous.   Hentley Farm Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023 did win the trophy for Best Shiraz at the Barossa Wine Show and it's just $32.99!

For those who haven't heard of Hentley Farm, I can tell you they are a family owned, former Halliday Winery of the Year that win top award after top award, but still they keep a rather low profile.  

"There are a lot more high profile wineries in Australia, but not many can match the pedigree of the wines being made at Hentley Farm in the Barossa Valley." Richard Siddle

We'll avoid advertising the likes of whom this wine out-performed to receive the trophy for best shiraz at the Barossa Wine Show, however we will talk about price because it's becoming rarer to find Barossa Shiraz with a big gong price under $50.  Hentley Farm like to keep their prices in check, so while they do offer wines for the big bucks, you don't need to pay to with this award winning 2022 shiraz.  That's right, this Hentley Farm Shiraz smashes the idea that good Barossa Shiraz needs to be expensive.  This is smart wine buying. 

Planted in 1999 this block joined the Hentley Farm stable when winemaker Andrew Quin purchased the adjoining Cambourne vineyard in 2014. On the same eastern facing slope as the Clos Otto and Beast blocks with red clay loam over shattered limestone which produces flavour intensity and an east/west orientation which provides fruit protection and thus an air of elegance.