Reviews:

97/100

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate 2024

Spicy and pert, this 2020 The Eagle Shiraz incorporates a small component of whole bunch (about 15%), and this elevates the spice component untold. It is a great inclusion, along with the subtle lacing of orange peel, white pepper, blood orange, cinnamon and blueberry. It's eminently classy, refined and electric, in its way. The wine speaks eloquently of its place in the Victorian hills, but it also expounds fragrance, finesse and energy. It's a super wine. You can drink this now, but it borders on frisky. I love it as is, but the wine will only gain in stature, complexity and nuance as it ages. Five years from release might be a good rule of thumb, but you go your own way. A good wine is good at every age. 

97/100

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front 2024

Well, it’s now The Eagle, not just Eagle, and it landed at my place today. This is the first vintage made by Julian Langworthy.

Such exotic perfume here, incense, lilac, all the spices, some liquorice richness, blueberry and blackberry. It’s medium-bodied, plenty of flavour packed in, kind of a meaty beef dripping thing, yet carries that waft of perfume, in with melting tannin, and lavish spice, acidity is set to freshness, though it’s in no way overt, and sits so well within the wine. Finish speaks to region and grape variety so well. Beautiful wine. So distinctive. It’ll age, but gee, I think I’d be enjoying this over the next five or so years. A bird in the hand kind of thing.

96/100

Ned Goodwin MW, James Suckling 2023

This shows notes of ripe but crunchy dark and blue fruit with peppery spiciness and hints of sandalwood and ash in the background. Wide and encompassing on the palate with medium to full body and fine, velvety tannin structure. Deep and layered fruit character with a steely, mineral freshness and with crushed stones and bitter spices to close. 

95/100

Max Allen, Australian Financial Review, March 2024

Wow. This is an outstanding wine. Intense and powerful aromas of earthy black fruit and brooding spices, great concentration and amazing length on the tongue, but none of it heavy or overbearing or overdone. Judicious use of 30 per cent whole bunches in the ferment has helped build layers of complexity and texture and tannin that keep revealing themselves as you sloosh the wine around. Extremely impressive now but will age gracefully for many years to come. 

Colour

Deep purple with hints of crimson.

Aroma

Distinct aromas of dark ripe berries mingle with baking spices, sandalwood, pepper and bramble.

Palate

Slinky and modern, medium-bodied yet rich in flavour. The palate exhibits ultra-fine tannins which unfold layer after layer with dark fruits, cedar, black plum, forest floor, truffle and an exquisitely elegant, long finish.

Cellaring

This wine will reward long cellaring of 5 to 25 years. 

Vintage

The growing season was ideal, warm but not hot, a perfect amount of rainfall in the growing season allowed fruit to be picked at relatively low potential alcohol, but with a ripe and super fine tannin structure. The Eagle Shiraz is only produced in the most exceptional of vintages in the ultra-premium, cool-climate Pyrenees region of Victoria. Careful viticulture meant fruit was picked at optimum ripeness.

Winemaking

Sourced solely from the 1977 “Eagle” Block directly in front of the winery. This fruit was hand-picked and fermented as a single batch. Utilisation of 15% whole bunches in the ferment and a moderate duration of cold soak ferment was initiated and lasted around 10 days. The resultant wine was pressed and filled to 25% new French oak puncheons (500L) with the balance being 1- and 2-year-old for a period of 20 months. Careful barrel selection was then made to showcase this amazing single vineyard icon at its best.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Food Pairings