2023 Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz

COLOUR: Bright crimson with black core

AROMA: Dark chocolate, blackberry, raspberry and ripe plum, lifted by hints of eucalypt, sage, black pepper, clove, violet, vanilla and liquorice.

PALATE: The fruit unfolds with confidence and clarity, revealing the Barossa Valley’s signature depth, richness and textural generosity. Layers of dark berry fruit move gracefully across the palate, supported by savoury spice, fine oak and a beautifully polished tannin profile. The texture builds slowly, moving from plush fruit weight to a long, velvety finish, where soft tannins linger with quiet persistence. The 2023 vintage shows both immediate appeal and the structure for careful cellaring. Enjoy now for its vibrant fruit and youthful energy, or allow it time in a cool cellar to reveal further depth and complexity.

The 2023 Barossa Valley vintage was characterised by an exceptionally wet spring, a mild summer and a significantly delayed harvest, producing wines with rich flavours, vibrant colour and excellent balance. Influenced by La Niña and negative Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, spring rainfall was 131% above the long-term average, with 53 rain days recorded. Despite increased disease pressure, strong budburst and healthy soil moisture provided a positive start to the growing season. Summer was considerably drier, receiving just 56% of average rainfall, with no significant heatwaves. Mild temperatures and healthy vine canopies slowed ripening, delaying veraison. Shiraz harvest commenced approximately three to four weeks later than recent averages. Favourable conditions throughout much of March and April allowed fruit to develop excellent flavour intensity, although occasional rainfall required careful vineyard management and harvest timing. The resulting 2023 Shiraz wines display intense dark fruit flavours, rich colour and balanced structure. The extended ripening period contributed to wines with concentration, freshness and complexity, showcasing the depth and generosity of Barossa Shiraz alongside elegance and finesse.

WINEMAKING | Fermented in five to ten tonne open top fermenters, with regular pump overs (twice daily over entire ferment) to control ferment, extract colour, flavour and tannins.

Average time ‘on skins’ was 10 days before the fermented juice was drained to tank and the pressings combined. The wine was then racked to barrel, where malolactic fermentation took place.
Bella’s Garden was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

MATURATION | Aged for 16 months in 2-4 year old French oak hogsheads, with up to 20% new French oak.

CLOSURE | Diam Cork
VOLUME | 750ml
VARIETAL | Shiraz
REGION | Barossa Valley
ALCOHOL (% vol.) | 14.6%
SUB-REGION | Ebenezer, Greenock, Kalimna, Marananga, Moppa Hills,Seppeltsfield, Stockwell, Stonewell
VINE AGE | 19-43 years
ALTITUDE | 200-320m
AVERAGE RAINFALL | 450-500mm
SOIL | Predominantly rich red/brown clay.

Halliday Wine Companion
94 points
Dave Brookes

"An elegant, supple shiraz with fruit characters of red and dark plum, red cherry, cranberry and a murmur of red apple bite. Hints of five-spice, citrus, tobacco, vanilla bean, charcuterie, fruit-and-nut chocolate and earth, with plenty of detail, superfine chalky tannins and a poised savoury lean as it trails off. It really is a lovely drink." Published 10 February 2026