Alkina house spotlight
Amelia Nolan, winemaker at Alkina, is on camera in The Grape Nomad's Meet the Masters film from the certified organic and biodynamic Greenock farm.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2021 Kin Birdsong Shiraz across the open market. Their published average is $48.78. Our slash is $29.
2021 Alkina Kin Birdsong Shiraz Barossa Valley, Australia
Amelia Nolan's biodynamic Greenock Shiraz, Qantas First selected, mineral and floral Barossa at twenty-nine dollars.
The 2021 Kin Birdsong is 89 percent Shiraz and 11 percent old-vine Mataro, roughly 60 percent whole bunch, wild ferment, concrete first. Bright red and blue fruit, violet, coal-dust minerality, now $29.
Barossa Shiraz that stays floral and alive
Alkina built Birdsong from rocky Greenock fruit, old-vine Mataro, and a cool 2021 season. Amelia Nolan ferments most of the Shiraz as whole bunches, then holds the wine in concrete. Qantas put the exact vintage on First after a blind tasting. This is not the heavy oak Barossa stereotype.
The house
Amelia Nolan makes Alkina on a certified organic and biodynamic farm near Greenock. Oldest vines date from the 1950s.
The wine
89% Shiraz, 11% Mataro. Wild ferment, concrete, two months in old foudre. 13.8% ABV.
The vintage
Alkina called 2021 outstanding: a long, cool late season that lifted acidity, tannin, flavor, and color.
The drinker
Serve 60 to 64 F. Thirty minutes of air. Char siu or lamb-eggplant moussaka.
Dark fruit, violet, and a mineral line
The wine carries Barossa depth, but the cool season and whole-bunch structure keep it lifted and energetic.
Cool, even days from January supported slow ripening in which phenolic development tracked with sugar and flavor. Alkina called it outstanding.
Bright red and blue fruit, blackberry, plum, violet, dark spice, coal-dust minerality.
Medium weight, fine tannin, 13.8% ABV, whole-bunch grip, concrete freshness.
Savory, mineral, persistent. Serve 60 to 64 F. Thirty minutes of air.
Stems, concrete, almost no new oak
Amelia Nolan picks and vinifies Shiraz and Mataro separately. Old Quarter Blocks 5 and 6 are the backbone, with Polygon 11 Shiraz and old-vine Block 3 Mataro completing the blend. Roughly 60 percent of the Shiraz is whole bunch. Eight months in concrete, then two months in old foudre and hogsheads. The point is the rocky vineyard, not new-oak sweetness.
Wild fermentation lets fruit and site lead. Destemmed Mataro adds savory depth without turning the wine into a blend for its own sake.
About 220 dozen plus 90 magnums. Serve 60 to 64 F. Thirty minutes of air keeps floral and mineral sides visible.
A new story on an old Greenock place
Alkina farms 43 hectares on the western edge of the Barossa, with vines dating from the 1950s.
The estate is certified organic and biodynamic and frames its work around regenerative farming and a detailed reading of geology.
The Birdsong label was created by Adnyamathanha artist Damien Coulthard. Its story honors elders, long memory, and the responsibility of caring for Country.
In the glass that perspective reads as focused place, not generic Barossa power.
Glaze on pork, spice on lamb
Choose sweet-savory lacquered pork for contrast, or lamb-and-eggplant moussaka for an earthy match.
Two plates. One char siu. One lamb and eggplant moussaka.
Serve at 60 to 64 F and give it around 30 minutes of air. Keep the glass slightly cool so floral and mineral sides stay visible.
Char Siu Chinese Barbecue Pork
Caramelized pork, five-spice, and a sweet-savory glaze bring out dark fruit while acidity keeps the dish lively.
Why it works: The glaze connects with plum and berry. Browned edges and spice echo the whole-bunch savory character.
View Recipe for Char Siu Chinese Barbecue Pork (opens in a new tab)
Lamb and Eggplant Moussaka
Roasted eggplant, warm spice, lamb, and creamy bechamel meet the wine's earthy mineral profile.
Why it works: Lamb softens the tannin. Eggplant mirrors savory earth. Cinnamon draws forward dark spice.
View Recipe for Lamb and Eggplant Moussaka (opens in a new tab)Open Birdsong tonight
Amelia Nolan's Greenock Shiraz, Qantas First selected, floral and mineral. Twenty-nine dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is old-vine Barossa with freshness instead of oak weight.
