CHARLES CIMICKY Reserve Shiraz 2000

Bottle per case: 12

All Cimicky wines are 100 percent Barossa Valley grown and made almost exclusively from grapes grown on Cimicky’s 65 acres of vineyards.

This is a well-established Barossa Valley producer (founded 1972), near Lyndoch at the southern end of the valley, which may well be best known for its distinctive label carrying an outsize Charles Cimicky signature.  The winemaker himself keeps a low profile, preferring to let his wines do the talking – which they do, eloquently.

Nonetheless, his preference for working on the wines and the vines rather than hitting the marketing and promotional trail has led to Charles Cimicky the brand offering very high quality wines at some of the Barossa Valley’s best-value prices.  Most high quality Barossa reds – especially Shiraz – are pretty fully priced these days, but this wine offers considerable upside potential.

It is rich, full-flavoured wine in the traditional Barossa style, yet also has the strength and structure to support a long life in the cellar.  Its strength and structure underpins its value.

Yet it is also true that in keeping with such generosity of flavour, the wine is ready to enjoy right now. There’s no doubt that this combination of structure and immediate appeal has helped the Barossa to build the international reputation it now enjoys.  Like Kilikanoon in the nearby Clare Valley, Charles Cimicky is an under-rated producer making under-valued wines.