2020 The Laird

Offers an impressive, aromatic and deep mix of date-nut bread, huckleberry and plum flavors, with accents of sarsaparilla, sage and cigar box, plus aromatics of oud and mahogany. Grace notes of Saigon cinnamon, masala chai, chocolate mint and black walnut liqueur add complexity and length on a dense and velvety frame. Epic finish. Shiraz. Drink now through 2038. 10 cases imported.

- MaryAnn Worobiec (08/2025)

The 2020 vintage was the third in a string of dry hot years, and this was marred by disastrously low yields, owing to heat and 80 kilometers per hour winds during the flowering. The 2020 The Laird is from the Gnadenfrei vineyard in Marananga, planted in 1958. The Marananga growing area is known for producing powerful, muscular, tannic Shiraz, and I tend to find the full-throated shout of flavor and concentration to be both convincing and a little exciting. The Laird does exactly this, holding back for no person and providing no subtlety nor mystique. Tasting it, one wonders if these things are strictly necessary anyway; here, we have unbridled power and intensity, old-vine tannic thrust and a black hole of impenetrable fruit, with notes of peat, leather, peppercorns, sweet roasted meat, pan juices and forest moss. It's an iconic wine that has retained its soul and purpose over the years, decisive, distinct, potent and precise, haunting and evocative. The dry-grown vineyard has been there longer than many of the people saying it can't be done. There's something in that. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

- Erin Larkin (04/2025)