Paul Conti Mariginiup shiraz 2024

Reviews and Accolades

95 Points Ray Jordan

A rich, succulent, generous, full-bodied shiraz. Loaded with all manner of red berry and dark plum, syrupy chocolate, and a little vanilla essence. Palate is soft and quite supple with gentle, understated tannins, and supported with some fine-grained, almost powdery oak. Drinking so beautifully now, but it has the structure and the fruit intensity to handle further cellaring.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Deep crimson with youthful purple hues.
• Aromatics: Ripe red berries and dark plum lead into aniseed, chocolate, vanilla and sweet oak spice.
• Palate: Rich, succulent and full-bodied, with generous plum and red fruit spreading across the palate.
• Texture: Soft and supple, with the fruit providing considerable weight without becoming heavy.
• Oak: Fine-grained oak brings chocolate, vanilla and powdery spice while remaining integrated with the fruit.
• Tannins: Gentle and understated, giving the wine enough structure for cellaring without creating an overly drying finish.
• Finish: Long and generous, with lingering dark plum, chocolate, spice and fine oak.

Wine Details

• Vintage: 2024
• Variety: Shiraz
• Region: Mariginiup, Swan Coastal Region, Western Australia
• Location: North-west of the Swan Valley and closer to the Indian Ocean
• Soils: Sandy Tuart soils over limestone
• Harvesting: Hand-harvested fruit
• Climate: Warm and dry with cooling afternoon sea breezes
• Oak influence: American and French oak
• Style: Rich, full-bodied and generously flavoured
• Cellaring: Up to 10 years
• Serving temperature: 16 to 18°C
• Decanting: Approximately 30 to 60 minutes when young

The Mariginiup Difference

Mariginiup lies on Perth’s northern coastal plain, slightly further west and north than the Swan Valley. Although the two areas share warm, dry summers, Mariginiup’s position closer to the Indian Ocean gives it a stronger and earlier coastal influence. Afternoon sea breezes generally reach the vineyard before they reach warmer sites further inland. This distinction is especially important for Shiraz. Warm daytime temperatures encourage the grapes to build colour, body and ripe fruit, while the arrival of cooler coastal air moderates the vineyard during the latter part of the day. The vines therefore receive the warmth required for generous flavour development without being exposed to uninterrupted heat throughout the afternoon and evening. For the drinker, this translates into a wine with the richness and concentration associated with warm-climate Shiraz, but with greater balance, supple tannins and a more composed finish.

Why 2024 Was So Successful in Mariginiup

The 2024 growing season was particularly hot across Western Australia, creating an early and compressed vintage in many regions. Those conditions were well suited to Shiraz, a variety that naturally thrives in warmth. The abundant sunshine allowed the berries to ripen completely, producing deep colour and concentrated flavours of red berries, dark plum, chocolate and spice.

Mariginiup was particularly well placed to manage the season. Its more western location allowed the cooling afternoon sea breeze to reach the vines earlier than it did in the Swan Valley. This offered relief during the hottest part of the growing season and helped slow the final stages of ripening.

Rather than simply accumulating sugar in the heat, the grapes had time to develop flavour, tannin and aromatic complexity more evenly. The finished wine captures both sides of the vintage. It has the power, body and fruit intensity created by the hot days, together with the balance and suppleness encouraged by Mariginiup’s earlier coastal cooling. In many ways, 2024 provided close to ideal conditions for this vineyard. The heat built the wine’s richness, while the sea breeze helped keep that richness under control.

Oak Maturation

Oak plays an important supporting role in Mariginiup Shiraz.

American oak complements the natural generosity of warm-climate Shiraz, contributing sweet vanilla, chocolate and spice. French oak provides a finer, more restrained structural influence.

Together, these characters add complexity while supporting the wine’s ripe red berry and plum fruit.

The oak also allows small amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine during maturation. This helps soften the tannins, stabilise the colour and bring the fruit and savoury elements together.

In the finished wine, the oak feels powdery and fine-grained rather than coarse. It strengthens the structure required for cellaring while leaving the fruit at the centre of the palate.

Serving and Cellaring

Serve Paul Conti Mariginiup Shiraz at approximately 16 to 18°C.

This is slightly cooler than the temperature of many Australian homes. If the bottle has been stored in a warm room, place it in the refrigerator for approximately 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Serving it slightly cooler will keep the red berry and plum fruit clearly defined while preventing its alcohol and chocolate richness from becoming too prominent.

When drinking the wine young, decant it for approximately 30 to 60 minutes. This will help release its fruit and spice while allowing the oak and tannins to settle into the wine.

It is already drinking beautifully, particularly after a short decant, but it also has the concentration and structure to develop for up to 10 years.

With bottle age, the fresh plum and red berry characters should gradually evolve towards dried fruit, leather, earth, mocha and savoury spice.

For cellaring, keep the bottle somewhere dark and temperature stable, ideally between 12 and 16°C.

Food Pairing 

• Chargrilled rib eye: The wine’s full body and tannins complement the richness and caramelised exterior of grilled beef.
• Slow-cooked beef cheeks: Dark plum, chocolate and spice work beautifully with deeply flavoured braised beef.
• Barbecued lamb: Try it with lamb cutlets, butterflied leg or slow-cooked shoulder seasoned with rosemary and garlic.
• Smoky pork ribs: Sweetly spiced ribs complement the Shiraz’s ripe fruit, chocolate and vanilla oak.
• Beef and mushroom pie: The savoury filling brings out the wine’s aniseed, plum and earthy characters.
• Wood-fired vegetables: Eggplant, mushroom, capsicum and caramelised onion suit its warm fruit and supple texture.
• Mature cheese: Aged cheddar, smoked cheddar and mature Gouda work well with the wine’s concentrated fruit and gentle tannins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mariginiup part of the Swan Valley?

No. Mariginiup is located on Perth’s northern coastal plain, slightly further north and west than the Swan Valley.

It is also closer to the Indian Ocean, allowing cooling afternoon sea breezes to reach its vineyards earlier than sites further inland.

Why was Mariginiup well suited to the hot 2024 vintage?

The hot days allowed Shiraz to develop excellent colour, body and flavour concentration.

Mariginiup’s proximity to the Indian Ocean then provided an important moderating influence. Earlier-arriving afternoon sea breezes cooled the vineyard and helped the grapes ripen more evenly.

This produced a wine with generous ripe fruit and full body, but also supple tannins and better balance.

Is this a full-bodied Shiraz?

Yes. This is a rich, full-bodied wine with concentrated red berry, dark plum, chocolate and spice flavours.

Its tannins are soft and understated, however, so it feels generous and smooth rather than hard or excessively heavy.

Is this Shiraz sweet?

No. This is a dry red wine.

The ripe fruit, chocolate and vanilla oak can create an impression of sweetness, but these flavours come from ripe Shiraz grapes and oak maturation rather than significant residual sugar.

What are Tuart soils?

Tuart soils generally consist of sandy topsoils over a limestone base and are found along parts of Western Australia’s coastal plain.

They are named after the Tuart trees that naturally grow throughout the area. These soils provide good drainage and can contribute to red wines with concentrated flavour and refined tannins.

What does fine-grained oak mean?

Fine-grained oak describes an oak influence that feels polished and controlled rather than coarse or heavily woody.

In this wine, the oak contributes chocolate, vanilla, spice and a subtle powdery texture while allowing the ripe fruit to remain prominent.

Should I decant this Shiraz?

Yes. Decanting it for approximately 30 to 60 minutes will help the red berry, plum, chocolate and spice characters open.

It will also bring the fruit, tannins and oak together, particularly while the wine is young.