Named after the Truro fire station in the heart of the Barossa Valley. Destemmed fruit was crushed into a small 5 tonne fermenter. Manual pumped overs through ferment for 14 days.  Pressed off skins and transferred to American oak hogsheads, (40% new.) After MLF, the wine was racked and returned to the same oak. Maturation in barrel for an average of 24 months prior to blending, with only the best barrels selected for the final blend. Heavy, thick, massive packaging. DIAM.

Craneford Wines, Fire Station, Shiraz, Barossa, 2019

Opaque garnet. Opulent, hedonistic, warm caramel sauce, rich mocha, umami tones: soy and nori sheets, pulpy blackberry, plum sauce, a little formic acid/crushed ant, licorice bullets, cedar, pencil shavings and warm tea cake. Sumptuous, broad shouldered and full. Concentrated, the effects of the oak are there in youth with raw spice shavings around the edges, while there’s a intense focus in the middle with a anise/licorice spiced black fruit rock festival. The medium amount of maturation time in bottle sees an integration of rough oak tannins playing nicely with the big frame, making this fairly approachable now (but prepare for a monster) with a silky, smooth front before a long, long tail. Yes, it’s big, but done well.

RRP: $150
Alc: 15.2%
Rating: 95/100

Wine sample courtesy of Craneford Wines and Periscope