Barossa’s 2024 Shiraz harvest fell sharply, while tasting finds broad quality

Barossa’s 2024 Shiraz crop was cut by 50% to 90% after a dry winter and isolated frosts during bud burst and flowering, according to Decanter. Rain during harvest added picking challenges. The vintage yielded 56,881 tonnes, and the publication reported strong quality despite the reduced volume.

Decanter assessed 110 wines for its annual Barossa Shiraz tasting and found enough consistency among the leading wines to make selecting its top 40 difficult. The report describes a range of styles, including medium-bodied wines emphasizing freshness and structure, as well as full-bodied bottlings made from old-vine fruit.

The report points to producers including Torbreck, Alkina, The Vanguardist and Purple Hands as part of a group pursuing more balanced, immediately approachable Shiraz. It also notes that Torbreck has moved away from the heavy oak and weight associated with some earlier wines. The Cutting’s small Stonewell Vineyard production was made in a quantity sufficient for a 500-litre barrel and is being sold only in magnums.