The Auswine Forum

Whicher Ridge is based in the north east of the Margaret River wine region. However, for me, some of their consistently good wines also come from the Great Southern region - especially Riesling and Shiraz.

Their first shiraz (2007) was drawn from MR fruit, however, since 2008, they have had a grape source in the Mt Barker area, and the resulting wines reflect the special qualities that this region brings to these varieties.

This shiraz is deep purple in colour. The nose is vibrant, with lovely savoury oak, dark berries (blue and black), mocha and pepper. The palate is delicious - fruit sweetness and chocolate, with supporting acid, fine grained grippy tannin, and a medium to full body. The finish is also medium/long and satisfying.

I think this will easily go another couple of years, but it is in a sweet spot now. Enjoy.

Allan

Three and a half years later, and I have cracked my last bottle.

The colour has lightened somewhat, but is still definitely in the purple spectrum. The dark fruits are still there on the nose, with savoury oak characters slightly more prominent than before. Mocha and white pepper is also still evident.

The palate still retains plenty of fruit sweetness, heading into conserve territory. Tannins are now fully integrated, and there's a molten chocolate viscosity as well. Acid retains some vibrancy, and the medium/long finish is still very satisfying.

This has probably peaked, but there's no rush to drink up if you have some. It's a matter of whether you prefer the balance slightly in favour of fruit sweetness or savoury complexity. This is pretty much in the middle.

Cheers
Allan