Fermentation was stopped by the addition of a blend of quality grape spirits. The wine was then matured in French oak barrels until bottling. This has produced an attractive fortified wine with lovely lifted fruit aromas, a rich palate and lively spirit/fruit aftertaste.

Vibrant and crystalline purple in the glass. Perfumed and aromatic with violets, blackcurrant and a touch of white pepper. Medium weight yet mouth filling with supple black fruits and a charcuterie savoury note. It's quite slippery and gliding and flows from entry to finish. The tannins and acidity doing the work from the shadows, away from the spotlight. It has is a bright and persistent finish.

Bannockburn’s Shiraz is drawn predominately from vines in the south-facing Winery Block (planted in 1990) and some declassified De La Roche (planted in 2007). All sites possess soils of mainly volcanic scoria over basalt, clay and loam with a limestone clay base. The 2020 was a low yielding year and a cooler season than 2019. The fruit was wild fermented with 10% whole bunches and some carbonic maceration. The wine spent two weeks on skins before being pressed, settled and racked to French oak hogsheads (10% new) for 12 months élevage. Alongside a reduction in the use of new barrels, Matt Holmes has gradually been introducing more influence of carbonic in his Shiraz. Holmes feels the mature Winery Block has inherent savoury qualities (due to the clay/limestone, old vines and poor soils) and the carbonic impact helps to lift the impression of brightness and fruit purity.