Plantagenet Lancaster Shiraz 2018 - Mt. Barker, Western Australia

96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
95/100 Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide 2021
92/100 James Suckling
91/100 Robert Parker
90/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review
90/100 James Suckling (2016 vintage)
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2016 vintage)

Silver - International Wine Challenge

5 Stars Winery - James Halliday

James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion "Great Southern shiraz (this wine is from Mount Barker) has a precision and a sense of inevitability about it: the depth and hue of the colour, the freshly picked fruit, the multi-spices, the cracked pepper, the persuasive tannins and the length."

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "This is immediately appealing on the nose showing black/blueberry, vanilla, thyme and cedar characters, followed by a sumptuous palate that delivers excellent fruit power combined with a silky texture and supple tannins. It's brooding yet stylish and sophisticated with a persistent delicious finish."

James Suckling "There’s a fresh array of ripe dark plums here with toasted spices and a peppery edge. The palate has a bold, rich core of ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors."

Robert Parker " It has the stuffing, with notes of cranberry, pink peppercorn, ferrous, pomegranate, mulberry and licorice. The tannins that shape this wine are classically Great Southern—ductile, pliable, omnipresent."

Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Dry leather, gravel and blue fruits vie for nasal attention. Gravelly tannins give a sense of tension without weight, whilst bright blue fruits flow into layers of crushed rocks and dried herbs."

James Suckling "This verges on the jammy side with lots of ripe fruit. Strawberry and plum to the infused-tea character. Medium to full body." (2016 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Medium to deep red colour with a trace of purple. The bouquet is spicy, earthy and mellow, showing some development, while the palate is quite sharp and spicy, with elevated acidity and firm, slightly bitter tannins that cleanse the finish - far from being unpleasant. An elegant, medium to full-bodied, tightly composed cool-area shiraz. Very enjoyable drinking. " (2016 vintage)

Plantagenet was established by founder Tony Smith with the planting of five vineyards; Bouverie in 1968 (sold in 2017), Wyjup in ’71, Rocky Horror 1 in ’88, Rocky Horror 2 in ’97 and Rosetta in ’99. These vineyards remain the cornerstones of the substantial production of the consistently high-quality wines that have always been the mark of Plantagenet: highly aromatic riesling, tangy citrus-tinged chardonnay, glorious Rhône-style shiraz and ultra-stylish cabernet sauvignon.

Great Southern is one of the largest wine growing regions in Australia, running along the south coast of Western Australia. It stretches 150km (93 miles) from the eastern edge of Manjimup (in the west) to the Pallinup River in the east, where the more cereal-focused expanses of 'Central Western Australia' begin. The region's northern edge lies almost perfectly on the 34th parallel while the coastline marks the southern boundary - a distance of around 100km (62 miles), north-to-south.

Shiraz, also known as Syrah is a popular red wine. Though the spiritual homeland of this red grape is France, Syrah has been planted throughout the world to great success. It expresses itself differently depending on the climate, soil and regional style.

Syrah is typically bold and full-bodied, with aromatic notes of smoke, black fruit and pepper spice. Stylistically, it can be round and fruity, or dense and tannic. And in warmer New World regions like Australia, Syrah is most often be called Shiraz.

Winemakers who work in cooler-climate growing regions, both in the Old World and New World, tend to call their wines Syrah. The most famous examples come from the northern Rhône Valley of France, notably Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. In the New World, in regions like Sonoma Coast, California; Yarra Valley, Australia; and parts of Chile, the wines are called Syrah because they emulate the leaner, acid-driven, savory styles of the Old World French classics.

Shiraz tends to come from warmer growing climates, namely the South Australian regions of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. Stylistically, these wines are lush, fruit-forward examples that embody the warmer, sunnier climate. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.