2023 Kiss Shiraz
2023 Kiss Shiraz
Our flagship single vineyard Shiraz has become a modern benchmark for the Hunter Valley. This wine clearly demonstrates that Hunter Shiraz can achieve amazing intensity and concentration within a medium-bodied frame.
Trophy - 2024 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge (Best NSW Shiraz)
Share
Winemaking Overview
-
In the Vineyard
Kiss Shiraz is a cheeky name for a serious wine.
It is an individual vineyard Hunter Valley Shiraz, grown on the tough clay/loam soils of the Pokolbin Estate vineyard (planted 1969). These naturally low-cropping vines consistently produce fruit with exceptional depth and concentration.
This is the flagship Shiraz for Thomas Wines, expressing the very best qualities of each vintage. The very first vintage of Kiss Shiraz was in 2001, and since that time, this label has received countless wine show awards and accolades, and has become a modern benchmark for Hunter Valley Shiraz -
In the Winery
The 2023 vintage saw a return to warmer and drier conditions after a couple of slightly cooler, wetter seasons. It was hand-picked on February 18th, the very first shiraz harvest of the season.
Cold-soaked for 24 hours, and then fermented on skins for a further nine days. The wine was then matured for 16 months exclusively in premium French oak (300L) hogsheads, 20% of which were new barrels, the balance being one and two-year-old oak.
After bottling, the wine was rested in our climate-controlled cellar for 11 months before the official release on the 17th of May 2025.
Whilst this wine is certainly enjoyable in its youth, it is destined to be regarded as a classic in years to come.
14.3% ABV
96 Points - Steve Leszczynsnki Qwine Reviews
"The mere mention of the Kiss Shiraz brings a noticeable quiver to Andrew Thomas' voice. He loves this patch like a child, and knowing what is coming, perhaps it squeezes a touch more emotion. But that's a story for another day... This 2023 Kiss is absolutely magnificent. When you consider the top tier of Hunter Valley Shiraz, this and one other provide supreme bang for buck. Sure, the bigger brands command more $$$, but if quality, ageability and exceptional winemaking are what you seek, look no further."
View Source
96 Points - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
"2023 is a superb release of Thomas Kiss Shiraz. It is, simply, authoritative. It lays down flavour, it lays down structure, it lays down character and it keeps it all going into tomorrow. Toast, cherry-plum, woodsy spice and earth, with nutshell and pockets of spice. It’s firm, bold and elegant at once. This is without doubt an upper echelon wine."
View SourceTasting Notes
-
Appearance & Aroma
Vivid deep purple colour.
Flamboyantly expressive nose of fresh blue fruits and ripe dark berries surrounded by hints of candied violets, oolong tea, and cracked pepper.
-
Palate & Finish
The palate has an immediately luxurious, silky texture with ripe fine-grained tannin supporting a core of boysenberry, red cherry, and dark plum fruit. It’s in the fuller end of the medium-bodied spectrum with cascades of flavour including ruby chocolate & dutch licorice, yet this is a savoury wine also showing exotic spice, black pepper, chinotto and Chambord liqueur to name a few impressions.
It’s powerfully varietal and yet elegant with a refreshing and long finish.
WHEN TO DRINK
The very nature of the tight and intensely inward-focused structural core of this wine lends itself to long-term cellaring.
However, it's already so damn delicious even as a youngster you're going to need some willpower to hold.....
Trophy - Best NSW Shiraz
2024 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge
The Vineyards
Whilst I have always applied a no compromise, attention to detail approach to my winemaking, I truly believe that 90% of the quality lies in the vineyard. The key to great wine is ‘keeping it simple’ to preserve that potential quality from the vine through to the bottle - Andrew Thomas