"Estate-grown, small batch warm (25-28 ̊C) open-fermented, transferred to American oak (40% new) for completion of fermentation and 14 months maturation before the best barrels were selected for the final lend.A wantonly luscious and complex medium to full-bodied wine with plum, fruitcake, dark chocolate and vanillan oak all having their say, yet allowing high quality tannins to infiltrate the palate and aftertaste. Hard to fault in the context of its style" James Halliday, James Halliday Australian Wine Companion, June 2017

"Deep red purple tinged colour. Scents are dark berries, rich scented spicy oak, some menthol and spice but everything is slumbering. The mouth feel is intense, fantastic depth and build, being nurtured in oak for now. This is a wine yet to arise and grow but the provenance is perfect, the wake up call will be soon and this wine will then become a long lived classic" International Wine & Spirits Competion, 2016

"From the four best blocks and only made in the best years (2010, 2012 & 2014). A rich, textural wine with dense plum, dark berry, blackcurrant and chocolate/mocha flavours. Impressive concentration with obvious cellaring potential. Drink 2016 to 2028" Bob Campbell Master of Wine, May 2016

"Very deep, dark, near impenetrable, purple-hued black-red colour, youthful in appearance. This has a softly concentrated, deep and densely packed nose of ripe black plums, blackberries, liquorice, earth and chocolate aromas, along with gentle waves of cedar and bacon-like oak elements. Full-bodied, the fruit flavours of ripe black plums, blackberries and liquorice are melded with chocolate and cedar, and fill the palate with richness and sweetness. The mouthfeel is seamless as it opens, unfolding waves of spices and oak. The fruit richness is balanced by considerable structure from fine-grained, flowery tannin extraction. Soft acidity contributes to the mouthfilling flavours and the wine carries to a very long, lingering finish of plums, liquorice, spices and cedar. This is a very rich and layered Shiraz with mases of black plum, liquorice and cedar flavour and a seamless, fine-grained, fully-structured palate. Match with game meat, casseroles and slow-cooked meats over the next 7-9+ years. Fruit from ‘St Kitts’ and ‘Milton Park’, fermented to 14.5% alc., the wine aged 14 months in 40% new American oak" Raymond Chan, April 2016

"This isn't a wall flower when it comes to potency of fruit and mesh of oak, but it sure does give the drinker a good slug of Barossa Valley Shiraz at its most powerful. Thick, syrupy textured with licks of mocha mint among plummy fruit and creamy texture. Big done very well" Wine Buisiness Monthly, August 2016

"Barossa Valley Shiraz, done up to the nines. The oak is fairly obvious here but then, so too is the depth of fruit. We’re talking bold, deep blackberry and saturated plum here, with tips of mint and then sweeps of coffee-cream, chocolatey oak. It struts through the palate, all cuddly and warm" Campbell Mattinson,The Wine Front, 2016

"2014 has a bounce in its step after the hot 2013 vintage; the colours a refresher as are the aromas; solid and bright with rose,ripe blackberry, blueberries and green spiced fruits leading to a seamless long palate. Very engaging flavours showing minerality, fine tannins rather than bulging with heavy tannins helps the fruits of the forest flavours with their redder flavours showing appealing thyme herbal spice adds complexity contributing to the appealing dark plum finish" Rob Geddes Master of Wine, Australian Wine Vintages, 2017

"Aromas of rich, dense mulberry, dark fruit and clove spice with a buttery mint edge. Will reward patience"  International Wine Challenge, 2016

"Appealing nose: pronounced ripe red berry and sweet oak. Round and juicy on the palate, lovely oak and long after taste. Needs time" Decanter World Wine Awards, June 2017

"If dark chocolate, intense vanilla, black plums, dried leaves and smoky notes alls ound like an interesting and complex range of flavours,then meet Thorn Clarke's William Randell Shiraz. What a wine; it's bonedry with high but balanced acidity, big tannins (which need a little time to soften) and a full body. Its long finish adds to its very good quality.  It drinks well now but has potential to age for up to 10 years and beyond" Joelle Thomson, Drinksbiz June / July 2016

Deep red with purple hues.  Lifted blackberry and cassis on the nose.  A rich brooding wine with layers of dark chocolate, plum and spiced fruit cake.  Stylish mocha oak notes with a long balanced tannin on the finish.

The William Randell range of wines were  created in honour of  the family's ancestor, the esteemed pioneer William Richard Randell. The wines are sourced solely from grapes grown on our estate vineyards. Wines in this range are only made in exceptional vintages

Spring rainfall was well below average with several days reaching  30°C.  The growing season had even temperatures and little rainfall.  Ripening was slow and steady leading to the development of good tannin structure and fruit characters. Following harvest the fruit was crushed into a variety of small fermenters (4 to 6T in capacity). Fermentation was carried out at a warm temperature (25-28°). The ferments were manually pumped over to provide good control of tannin extraction. Each fermenter was treated as a separate parcel of wine and once dry was filled to American oak (40% new). Following malolactic fermentation the wines were racked and returned to the same oak.  Parcels remained in barrel for an average of 14 months prior to blending.  Only the best barrels from the multiple parcels were used to make the final blend.  Once blended the wine was prepared for bottling.