Head Wilton Hill Shiraz 2024 earns 96 points from The Real Review

A flagship made only in top years

The Real Review awarded Head Wilton Hill Shiraz 2024 a score of 96 points and five stars. Priced at AUD 150, it placed sixth out of 46 Barossa Shiraz wines from the 2024 vintage and received the publication’s Top Rank distinction.¹

Wilton Hill Shiraz is the leading wine in Alex Head’s Icon Series. It is produced only in the strongest vintages, using fruit from the site he considers the finest in the Barossa Ranges: Wilton, a historic gold-mining settlement southeast of Angaston.¹

Old vines and a 368-bottle production

The blend is 90% Shiraz with a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are between 60 and 120 years old and grow on soils of orange clay, ironstone and quartz. Yields were below one tonne per acre, and production was limited to 368 bottles.¹

The grapes underwent wild-yeast fermentation in a small open vat, with some whole bunches and initial foot-treading. The wine was then basket-pressed and matured for 11 months in oak, around half of it new.¹

The “Wilton Hill” wording on the label forms an ambigram. The design refers to the site’s outlook across both the Barossa and Eden valleys.¹

Tasting assessment and drinking window

The review describes a deeply colored ruby-purple wine with substantial concentration. Its aromas and flavors include black cherry, blackberry, spiced plum, bay leaf, dried rosemary and fresh tar, while mocha and chocolate notes from the oak are integrated with the fruit.¹

Despite its concentration, the wine was assessed as agile and supple, with fine, chalk-like tannins. Savory spice accompanies the fruit through a long, persistent finish.¹

The wine has 14% alcohol, is sealed with Diam and has a recommended drinking window extending from the present to 2040. The suggested pairing is seared venison loin with blackberry and bay-leaf jus, and Head Wines is listed as the stockist.¹