A lot of people ask me what the difference is between my Red Shiraz and Black Shiraz. Well, much can be summed up by the colour of the labels.

They’re both Barossa Valley Shiraz, but the Red is more dominant in red fruit flavours, and the Black is a little more complex with darker black and purple fruit characters. So we’re talking red berries and blood plum versus blackberries and dark chocolate. Both delicious… just different.

These flavour differences are due in part to vine clones (different strains, you might say, of the same variety), vine age, and the slight variations in aspect, soil and microclimate between different blocks.

But flavour profile is not the only difference. The Black Shiraz is the ‘pick of the crop’. Older, lower yielding vines were used in this wine and as a result, where the Red is brighter and more lively, the Black is richer, fuller and more structured, with great length and concentration of fruit.

While they will both age gracefully, the Black Shiraz is the top choice if you’re looking to pop something away in the cellar for a few years. I like to make wines that are approachable as youngsters, so both have lovely supple primary fruit right now. The Red Shiraz is one for short to medium term ageing, say 5 to 8 years, whereas the Black Shiraz is a sleeper that will be good to go over the next 15 to 20 years, developing more complexity and secondary characters as time goes by.

So what are my favourite food matches? For the Red I’d be looking at grilled lamb cutlets with beetroot relish and for the Black, I’d step it up a bit with a thick, juicy peppered beef fillet with tapenade and crispy leeks.

Either way… enjoy 🙂

Red by Caroline Dunn Shiraz and Red by Caroline Dunn Black Shiraz are available exclusively through Naked Wines.