The 26th annual Great Shiraz Challenge at The Edinburgh Hotel and Cellars over the weekend saw us tasting around 250 plus shiraz wines. The Shiraz Challenge is all about quality wines of every style from sparkling to table wines and from both cool and warm climates. It’s heaven for wine lovers!

With our catalogue of available wines in hand, the afternoon was set and we were off on the Shiraz-a-thon, and what a marathon it was. Showcasing wines from all of our favourite SA wine regions, as well as interstate, and those from America and New Zealand, it was wonderful to not only sample the amazing array of shiraz wines but also to see so many passionate winemakers talking about their craft.

Also on offer on the day was live acoustics by Zyke & Damo, an all day tapas menu by Cargo Catering and a coffee cart for those that needed some respite from the abundance of shiraz. We were totally spoilt for choice with all the quality wines on offer and it was very hard to narrow down our top 5 but we were particularly impressed with the following:

Henschke 2015 Tappa Pass Shiraz

A bold Barossa shiraz with subtle aromas of sage, tarragon, black pepper, bay leaf, anise and Dutch liquorice. The flavour profile includes sweet mulberry, blueberry and spiced plum, with fine velvety tannins and a lovely depth of flavour. A special occasion shiraz.

Bellevue Estate Shiraz 2017

Winner of numerous awards including the Shiraz Challenge Winner and $30 and Under Category Winner 2017, this family owned winery in McLaren Vale produces only one product, the single vineyard Bellevue Estate Basket Pressed Shiraz. A full bodied Shiraz with flavours of liquorice, blackberry, dark chocolate and toasty vanillin oak. A lovely McLaren Vale shiraz at an excellent price.

Majella 2016 Shiraz

The Majella Shiraz first appeared in 1991 and has since acquired a reputation as one of Coonawarra’s finest. A full bodied Shiraz with flavours of plum, cherries, blackberries and vanilla make this deliciously creamy and sweet. The tannins are quite soft and lead to an evenly balanced finish. A great example of Coonawarra shiraz.

Terre à Terre 2015 Crayeres Vineyard Shiraz

Terre à Terre is a small vineyard reflecting more traditional, European-style winemaking practices and styles and operates on three unique vineyards in Wrattonbully and the Piccadilly Valley. This medium to full-bodied shiraz features scents of mint, licorice and mulberries and has blackberry and plum flavours. An earthy and elegant shiraz.

Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2017

One of Australia’s leading certified organic wineries, this McLaren Vale shiraz is medium-bodied and features red and black fruit flavours, with hints of chocolate and spice and finishing with lovely tannins. A wonderful shiraz from this highly regarded organic winery.

The Edinburgh Great Shiraz Challenge reinforces the fact that we are spoilt for choice with an abundance of world class wines. We had such a wonderful day sampling shiraz from around the globe and if you love red wine (and let’s face it, what’s not to love!), you cannot miss next year’s Great Shiraz Challenge. Are you up for the challenge? We sure are!

Words by Julianne Sunic from Adelaide Where Shall We Eat