Vintage: 2023

Barossa Valley, SA

ALC: 14.5%

Long table, low light, corks on the floor. You know the feeling. Tuck this away for 8 years and The Ernie will turn any gathering into an occasion worth remembering.

This is shiraz with presence. Think blackberry compote, ripe plum and black cherry layered with baking spice, licorice root and a hint of dark cocoa. There’s a savoury undercurrent too — a flicker of earth and cedar — all wrapped in fine, powdery tannins that carry the finish long and confident. Plush, polished and seriously composed.

The Auld name runs deep in Barossa soil. For Sam and Jock, wine isn’t a career move — it’s inheritance. With a great‑grandfather among South Australia’s early vine pioneers and a childhood spent weaving through vineyards instead of backyards, The Ernie feels less like a label and more like a continuation. If the family name had flown consistently over six generations, it might sit among the country’s most famous. But as those lucky enough to be in the know, we’re happy to keep this one close.