Huon Hooke Review of Thomas Vineyard Estate Shiraz 2005

The shiraz class is always the most keenly fought contest of the annual Boutique Wine Awards. This year the trophy winner was Thomas Vineyard Estate Reserve 2005 ($45), a relatively new McLaren Vale producer. Owners Merv and Dawne Thomas have an astonishing record from just two vintages released to date. The reserve and regular '04 shirazes both won gold medals, the regular winning the trophy for the best single vineyard wine at the 2005 McLaren Vale Wine Show, pipping its more expensive brother. Now the '05 reserve has been voted best of 226 shirazes in the boutique show. This is a typically big, rich McLaren Vale shiraz, full-bodied and loaded with chocolate, blackberry and dark-plum flavours, and a soft-as-plush, fruit-sweet presence in the mouth.

The Thomases bought their 5.2ha property between the Onkaparinga hills and St Vincent's Gulf in 1998 and planted 12,000 shiraz vines. By their own admission, neither had any idea about growing grapes or making wine, so Merv enrolled at school to study Viticulture 1 and 2. He shared his knowledge with Dawne and together they established the vineyard. Foster's bought the first crop and in 2004 the Thomases decided to make their own wine, contracting Trevor Tucker to make it. Each vintage, the vineyard has produced A-grade fruit, and the wines are 100 per cent estate-grown. Imagine the thrill when the two shirazes from their first vintage netted two gold medals and a trophy at the McLaren Vale show. It is the kind of fairytale start new wine producers dream of. Rather like a young thoroughbred winning its first race, except that the other horses included many seasoned and fine performers. Audacious indeed!

Huon Hooke