Drink Date: 2025 - 2043
The 2023 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier is texturally velvety and smooth; that may sound like a base observation to make, and perhaps it is, but the experience is overwhelmingly silky/ethereal this year. Apricot blossoms, sweet roasted bone marrow, hung deli meat, crushed rocks, licorice, anise and raspberry mingle in the glass, while the palate gives us these characters tenfold, bolstered and grounded by savory tannins. What more is there to say about this, other than that it is sensational? I find this to be an incredibly consistent wine year after year, with my scores rarely deviating too much from "excellent." This is among the very best Shiraz Viognier's in this country; it's a treasure. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax. Erin Larkin

The Relic, 98.5/1.5% shiraz/viognier is sourced from the Hongell Family vineyard in Krondorf and immediately presents itself beautifully with dark and red plum, dark cherry and indeed, a stone fruit component that sits obliquely to the deeper fruit on display. A smaller percentage of whole bunch this year but an exotically spiced trail is still apparent in the wine, like fading footsteps in wet sand. There's a char siu meaty aspect in the mix, too, with dried meadow flowers and a real sense of place; the tannins are like powdered sand and there is a sapidness apparent in its cadence. There's only a handful of producers in the region that produce wines with this level of intricacy. It's like bonsai winemaking, capturing nature and all its harvest-borne detail with a sense of balance and proportion. Tremendous drinking.

Dave Brookes
Published 26 June 2025