The Star Lane wine style is always on the savoury and rustic style thanks to the use of wild yeasts and the almost two years the wines spend in oak. It makes for bold and muscular wines which also are strong on the earthy complexity often seen in this region. The shiraz is usually the pick of the wines thanks to this variety being being well suited to the Beechworth climate and the 2019 vintage is no exception.

Deeply coloured it shows a rich core of powerful fruits – blackberry essence, bacon fat, star anise and black pepper well supported by quite generous but not overbearing oak. It then takes on an almost Italian feel with its bone dry palate well supported by plenty of acidity and tannins with dark fruits and hints of terracotta. You can almost taste the local granite over a long and sinewy finish of good length. It’s a wild ride and needs a little time to settle but offers plenty of fruit impact and personality to enjoy over the medium term.