Deep Dive: The Best ‘New Wave’ Barossa Shiraz 22 September 2025. Words by YGOW.
The Barossa has long been the source of Australia’s most revered red wines, drawing on a proud viticultural and winemaking history to present the wider world with a well-defined regional style of shiraz. But every region has its rule-breakers and iconoclasts – and the Barossa is no exception, with a cohort of young and emerging winemakers seeking to craft wines that are lighter, fresher, and lower in alcohol than the regional norm. With so many producers looking to expand the range of possibilities for the Barossa’s signature variety, we thought a Deep Dive was in order to get to the bottom of what ‘new wave’ Barossa shiraz might mean.
We gathered every example of ‘new wave’ shiraz from the Barossa (including the Eden Valley) that we could find and set our expert panel the task of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines.
Our panel: Indra Nadeson, winemaker, Lethbridge; Rohit Singh, winemaker, Avani; Callie Jemmeson, winemaker, Pacha Mama; Jim Mullany DipWSET, wine retailer, Atlas Vinifera; Masahiko Iga, head sommelier, Victoria Racing Club; Andrea Infimo, sommelier, Osteria Renata; Maxence Gueritot, sommelier, Brae.
The top wines
2024 Yelland & Papps Wines ‘Stone Well’ Syrah, $49 RRP
Iga included this wine in his top six from the blind tasting. “A luminous ruby with violet hues, this wine offers vivid aromas of raspberry and redcurrant, carried by sleek acidity, ripe fruit, and firm, balanced tannins,” he described. “Lavender, thyme, white pepper, and even red shiso notes add aromatic intrigue, with a gentle smokiness in the background. On the palate, the sweet-edged fruit profile softens the wine’s structure, the texture lively and appealing. Perfect with glazed yakitori skewers – smoky grilled chicken brushed with a savoury-sweet soy glaze – where the char and caramelised sweetness echo the wine’s balance.”
See the interview and full article on link below