Smallfry El Grande Shiraz 2016 by Smallfry Wines in the Barossa is a powerful, old‑vine Vine Vale Shiraz, hand‑picked, wild‑fermented and treated to serious new French oak before a long bottle rest. This 2016 El Grande Barossa Valley Shiraz is very much the big, age‑worthy flagship of the Smallfry range, built on concentration, structure and dark, layered fruit.

In the glass it’s deep dark plum with a violet rim, with aromatics of blackberry, spice and dark chocolate straight out of the classic Barossa playbook. The palate is full‑bodied and rich, showcasing ripe plum and dark berry fruit, black pepper and well‑integrated oak, all carried on 14.5% alcohol with plenty of weight, fine but firm tannins and a long, powerful, velvety finish. Old Vine Vale shiraz vines, wild yeast ferment and two years in new French oak, followed by three years’ bottle age before release, give depth and polish without losing Smallfry’s vineyard‑first character.

For food, El Grande Shiraz 2016 is spot‑on with char‑grilled ribeye, lamb tagine, slow‑cooked beef cheeks or rich barbecued meats, where the dark fruit, spice and oak all find their match. It will also work beautifully with hard, aged cheeses like cheddar or Gouda and other robust, savoury dishes – a seriously structured Barossa Shiraz to open on cooler nights or tuck away in the cellar.