James Halliday 95 Points

Kilikanoon — Clare Valley's Benchmark Producer

Kilikanoon has been one of Clare Valley's most celebrated producers since its first vintage in 1997, built on a philosophy of sourcing from the valley's finest old-vine sites and making wines of genuine depth and longevity. The Covenant is their flagship — a single-vineyard Shiraz named with the gravity it deserves, from fruit that represents the very best the Clare Valley can offer. It is a wine made to age, to reward patience, and to remind you why Clare Valley Shiraz occupies a unique place in the Australian wine landscape.

James Halliday 95 Points

A mesh of premium vineyard fruit and 18 months in quality French oak, the 2017 Covenant is a salubrious, full-bodied, and glossy wine. Deep crimson verging on opaque in the glass, it opens with scents of violet, blue to black berry, and crushed rock — a bouquet of real presence and complexity. The palate is defined by a firm, structured framework of coffee grind and mocha tannins that extend long and far, shaping the wine and keeping its considerable power in perfect balance. Eight years of bottle age has done exactly what great Clare Valley Shiraz is built to do.

What's in the Bottle

Variety: Shiraz
Oak: 18 months French oak
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
Vintage: 2017
Critic Score: 95pts James Halliday
Bottle size: 750ml

Drink Window

At peak now and drinking magnificently with an hour's decanting. The structure and concentration in this wine will continue to reward cellaring through 2032 and beyond.

You Might Also Enjoy

If the Kilikanoon Covenant has captured your attention, these icon-level South Australian Shiraz from different producers are worth exploring:

• 2019 Sevenhill Brother John May Reserve Shiraz — a 95-point Clare Valley icon from Australia's most extraordinary Jesuit winery, a natural peer and companion to the Covenant
• 2021 Henschke Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz — Australia's most celebrated single-vineyard Shiraz, from vines planted in the 1860s — the ultimate step up
• 2017 Noon Winery Reserve Shiraz — a cult McLaren Vale icon of extraordinary concentration and depth, produced in tiny quantities from the same 2017 vintage

Life's too short for bad wine.