2021 Alkina Kin Birdsong Shiraz Barossa Valley

Birdsong is their old-vine Shiraz. The 2021 is built on Block 5&6 in the Old Quarter, with young-vine Shiraz from schist and 11% old-vine Mataro. The Mataro was so good that year it earned a place in the blend. About 60% of the Shiraz went in as whole bunches, fermented wild and aged in concrete, then old oak.

The vineyard is NASAA certified organic and biodynamic. The label art is by Adnyamathanha artist Damien Coulthard.

2021 finished long and cool, with high natural acidity. In the glass that means red and blue fruit, black spice and a coal-dust minerality, with tannins that grip. This is the Barossa I want more of. Pour it with slow-braised beef cheek.

Behind this wine is the uncompromising vision of Alejandro Bulgheroni, the billionaire vintner whose global pursuit of terroir led him to create Napa icons like Lithology. Bulgheroni’s philosophy is simple: acquire the world’s most exceptional land and entrust it to the world’s greatest winemakers. By bringing the same "no-expense-spared" precision used to craft his $300+ Napa Cabernets to the exciting Barossa Valley soils

Alkina is a small organic and biodynamic estate in South Australia. Instead of making the biggest, loudest wine possible, they focus on purity — whole-bunch fermentation, concrete aging, no new oak.