2023 Charlie's Garden Eden Valley Shiraz

COLOUR: Deep garnet with a pop of violet hue

AROMA: Lifted and expressive, with aromas of cola, sage, cardamom, violet, eucalyptus, mocha, cherry, blackcurrant and fresh florals.

PALATE: The palate opens with energy and precision, showing the focused, linear drive that defines Eden Valley Shiraz. A rush of dark fruits moves across the tongue, with fresh blackberry bringing brightness and lift. Layers of dried violet, pipe smoke and cracked black pepper add complexity, carrying through to a long and finely detailed finish. The fruit is concentrated yet beautifully controlled, supported by a soft, reverberating acidity and a mineral edge that gives shape to the tannins. As the wine opens in the glass, the tannins reveal impressive depth, creating a silky, finely woven texture. The 2023 Charlie’s Garden is a serious and elegant bottling, already immensely enjoyable on release, with the structure and balance to age gracefully under the right cellar conditions..

The 2023 vintage in Eden Valley was shaped by a cool and wet growing season, resulting in a later-than-average harvest and wines displaying elegance, freshness and vibrant fruit expression. Above-average winter and spring rainfall replenished soil moisture reserves, while cooler temperatures throughout spring delayed budburst and slowed early vine development. Continued rainfall and mild conditions during flowering presented challenges for growers, requiring careful vineyard management to maintain vine health and fruit quality. Summer remained relatively mild, with fewer extreme heat events than typically experienced in the region. The extended ripening period allowed Shiraz grapes to develop flavour gradually while retaining natural acidity. Harvest commenced later than usual, with selective picking essential to achieving optimal ripeness and balance. The resulting 2023 Eden Valley Shiraz wines are characterised by bright red and dark berry fruits, fragrant florals, subtle spice and fine, integrated tannins. Rather than the richness and power associated with warmer vintages, 2023 highlights the region's hallmark elegance, structure and finesse, producing balanced wines with freshness and promising ageing potential.

WINEMAKING | Fermented in a five tonne open top fermenter, 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.
Charlie’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
ALCOHOL (% vol.) | 14.4%
REGION | Eden Valley
SUB-REGION | Menglers Hill
VINE AGE | 13-84 years
ALTITUDE | 460-490m
AVERAGE RAINFALL | 800mm
SOIL | Quartz, gravelly loam and silty loam over yellow clay.

Halliday Wine Companion
93+ points
Dave Brookes

"A graceful Eden Valley wine that sits at the fulcrum of medium and full bodied. Shows nicely poised black cherry and dark plum fruits cut with hints of sage, five-spice, mountain herbs, tobacco, crushed rocks, crushed herbs, cedar, fruit-and-nut chocolate and violets. It all makes for very attractive drinking, with a savoury palate shape, fine-grained tannins and plenty of detail and nuance as it travels." Published 10 March 2026