I often revisit wines I’ve enjoyed at press tastings. Spending days with a bottle rather than seconds gives a fuller picture of its character, especially when comparing with similar wines. This applies to the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz 2022 (£9, 14.5%) that caught my attention at a recent Asda press tasting and I promised to explore in more detail.
To recap, the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz has already gained a Bronze Medal at the IWSC 2024 and the IWC 2024, along with a Silver Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023. Its made from 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Sirah, and 90% Shiraz, with partial aging in oak barrels.
My second tasting of Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz began well with the same earthy, woodland aroma I identified previously. I decided to drink back-to-back with one of my picks, the much more expensive St Hallett Faith Shiraz (£16) for comparison. While its taste was much less fruit-forward than the St Hallett, it featured much deeper black fruit notes, likely due to the greater proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The finish also brought forward flavours of chocolate, espresso and spices, possibly from the Petite Sirah in the blend.
While the St Hallett Faith captures what many currently expect from a modern Barossa Shiraz the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz, takes a different route. A well-known journalist at the Asda press tasting suggested to me that this wine is echoing an older style of Barossa Shiraz before the trend for more fruit-forward expressions became popular.
If you want something more nuanced and layered than typical Barossa Shiraz, Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz perhaps offers a fascinating glimpse into the past.
