The 2021 Oliver's Taranga Vineyard HJ Reserve Shiraz is a highly regarded, sustainable, flagship red wine named in honor of grandfather Herbert John "HJ" Oliver, the WWII fighter pilot who returned to plant the historic 1948 "Old Block" and shift the estate entirely to premium grape growing. It is an exceptional, barrel-selected expression of estate-grown McLaren Vale Shiraz sourced from those iconic old vines, benefiting from a near-perfect, cool ripening 2021 vintage.
- Aromas: Mulberry, fruit cake spices, baked cherry compote, anise, mocha, and blackberry with a savoury, river-stone edge.
- Palate: Full-bodied and plush, featuring dense black fruit flavors, cacao nibs, creme de mûre, and spice wrapped in beautifully fine tannins.
- Style: Rich, concentrated, and super plush, balancing massive old-vine power and fruit density with impeccable finesse and structural elegance.
- Winemaking: Sourced from the best parcels of the 1948 block, wild-fermented, and matured for 18 months in premium French oak hogsheads (35% new).
- Cellaring: Beautifully fresh and supple right now, but possesses the outstanding structural balance to reward patient cellaring through 2050.
- Food Pairing: Pairs magnificently with slow-cooked lamb shoulder, prime beef rib, venison pie, or rich mushroom ragù.
The Oliver's Taranga HJ Shiraz ompletely transcends the over-extracted style common to the region, delivering a sophisticated, highly structured expression of old-vine depth and dark-fruited power from a multi-generational estate with a viticultural legacy dating back to 1841.
Olivers Taranga
Oliver's Taranga is one of McLaren Vale's most storied family properties, settled in 1841 with vines following shortly after. Now in the hands of sixth-generation family members, the Olivers are regarded as one of the region's leading sustainably certified growers — a reputation so well-founded that they are among the select few chosen to supply fruit for Penfolds Grange Shiraz.
At the helm of the winery is the effervescent Corrina Wright, whose talent and ambition have taken Oliver's Taranga to new heights. Corrina is rapidly building a reputation for producing ultra-premium, age-worthy wines that do full justice to the exceptional fruit the family grows. She is also earning well-deserved recognition for her prominent role in the Women in Wine movement.
Oliver's Taranga has long been defined by its premium red varieties, and the rich, structured wines they produce. But Corrina and the family are now embracing an exciting new chapter — the development of Mediterranean varieties that are proving beautifully suited to McLaren Vale's climate and soils. Far from a departure, these varieties are becoming a defining expression of the region itself, and Corrina's commitment remains the same: that every wine, old variety or new, reflects the unique and irreplaceable character of the Taranga Vineyard."
