Paradise IV Dardel Shiraz 2018 is the final vintage from one of Geelong’s most extraordinary vineyard sites — and the last wine ever made under the Paradise IV label. The vineyard, first planted in 1848 by Swiss vigneron Jean-Henri Dardel on 500-million-year-old eroded granite with ironstone deposits above limestone loam, permanently closed in 2018 and all 5 acres of vines were removed. What remains is this wine.
“The wine that put my name on the map. The iconic Dardel Shiraz is a single PT23 clone expression from extraordinary vines grown in limestone loam, clay and granite soils at the late, great Paradise IV Vineyard in the Moorabool Valley of Batesford Geelong, Victoria.”
— Doug Neal, Winemaker
Appearance
Deep, brooding ruby — the colour of a wine with serious intent and significant cellaring ahead.
Nose
Musky and faintly mocha-like — smoked duck, dark cherries, raspberries and redcurrants, laced with earthy notes of Puer tea and exotic spice. A bouquet of remarkable complexity and breeding.
Palate
Long and luscious, with a plush core of mouthfilling black and red fruit. Extends long, supple and seamless down a tight-grained, drying and dusty spine. Finishes with remarkable drive and savoury complexity. Revisited February 2025 — still youthful, developing slowly, not yet showing what it will ultimately reveal. Drink 2030–2038+.
Winemaking
Most of the harvest was whole-berry fermented; a lesser amount with whole-bunch carbonic maceration in a sealed vat. All parcels wild-fermented. Matured for 18 months in French oak (20% new). Natural MLF, gravity movement of wine throughout.
Vineyard
The former Moorabool Estate was renamed Paradise IV for the very good reason that it is the site of the original Paradise IV Vineyard, planted in 1848 by Swiss vigneron Jean-Henri Dardel. Planted on 500-million-year-old eroded granite with ironstone deposits above 20-million-year-old limestone loam, cooled by the Moorabool River and sheltered by the Otway rain shadow. In 2018 the winery permanently closed and all 5 acres of vines were removed.
Cellaring
Drink 2030–2038+. Still youthful as of February 2025.
Serving Temperature
16–18°C.
Reviews
“It’s not often I find myself reviewing a shiraz that really thinks it’s a high-end pinot noir. Its musky, faintly mocha-like bouquet of smoked duck, dark cherries, raspberries and redcurrants is laced with earthy notes of Puer tea and exotic spice. Long and luscious, with a plush core of mouthfilling black and red fruit, it extends long, supple and seamless down a tight-grained, drying and dusty spine. It finishes with remarkable drive and savoury complexity. This is something very unique and special. Revisited in Feb 2025, it’s still youthful, developing slowly, and it is still not showing what it will ultimately reveal.”
98 Points — Jeremy Oliver, February 2025. Drink: 2030–2038+
“Most of the harvest was whole-berry fermented, a lesser amount with whole bunch carbonic maceration in a sealed vat, all parcels wild-fermented. The result is a highly spiced medium-bodied wine with a lattice work of tannins after 18 months maturation in French oak (20% new).”
95 Points — James Halliday, July 2021
