Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018

Recently I’ve really enjoyed trying out some of the great wines on the market that are either organic, biodynamic or preservative-free. It has become something that is much more widely available these days, which is perfect for those wine lovers that want to drink more mindfully. Or want to drink fewer sulphites and preservatives, because that’s always a win right? One of the great wines I’ve enjoyed recently is the Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018.

I got the Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 from Vineful, as it was part of a box of three wines I had delivered directly to my door (you can find out more about it here). Services like these are great for discovering new wines, and this one from Paxton was no different! We didn’t manage to get to the Paxton cellar door when we were in McLaren Vale recently, and so I was happy to get an opportunity to try one of their wines.

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 is a beautiful Shiraz all the way from McLaren Vale. Paxton focuses on minimising inputs to their winemaking process. They also manage their vineyards biodynamically meaning no synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and a focus on promoting healthy, living soils through natural compost.

I personally really enjoyed all the Shiraz from McLaren Vale and found it to be very different from those of the Hunter Valley. If you are a fan of wines that are a bit softer and more fruit-driven, then the Shiraz of McLaren Vale will be your jam. Many of the wineries in McLaren Vale focus on more sustainable winemaking practices, but one of the heroes of the region is Paxton wines. We didn’t have many biodynamic wines while we were there so I was very excited to try this wine and see how it compared to some of the others we enjoyed.

Although this wine is called preservative-free, it is also biodynamic, vegan and has no added sulphur. If that isn’t a good enough reason to give it a go I don’t know what is. It’s practically good for you right?

Why I loved it

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 was an absolutely delicious wine. First, the colour was so interesting with a vibrant purple-red hue. It looked rich and luscious – like it would be packed full of flavour. And this wine certainly is. What I got on the nose was a delicious hit of berry aroma, lavender and a hint of spice. It smelt so delicious, I almost would love to make a candle out of it!

Then there was the taste. I was expecting this wine to be really punchy and rich given its colour. But it was actually really well balanced. There was a lot of upfront fruit from red berry flavours. This was followed by a hit of soft tannins at the end to give it a really velvet finish.

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 is perfect for drinking as is. You really don’t need to cellar it to enjoy it. I really enjoyed the medium body on this wine. I also loved how bright it was at the start with a soft and luscious finish. If you’re after a wine that drinks well without you having to overthink it, this is the wine you’ve been looking for.

What to enjoy it with

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 is a food wine as it is packed full of flavours. So make sure you have a nice meal planned to go along with it. Personally we ordered some takeout and enjoyed this in front of the TV. However, it would easily lend itself to a dinner party with friends. It is something a bit more special than a midweek wine, but could also be drunk midweek if you were feeling fancy. No judgement here!

You’d be best to enjoy this wine with a meat dish – think beef and red wine casserole or lasagne. You could also pair it with the best pairing of all for Shiraz – BBQ and steak. Either way, it would be absolutely delicious.

The final word on the Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018

The Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 is an absolutely delicious wine in its own right with the added bonus of being biodynamic, vegan and having no nasties. You can enjoy this wine knowing it has been mindfully made, but I really don’t think this is the only thing going for it. Although this is a good selling point, this wine is just plain delicious with or without the biodynamic label. It goes to show that this sort of winemaking definitely has its merits in producing incredible wines.

So grab a bottle of the Paxton Pollinator Preservative Free Shiraz 2018 and enjoy it with food without having to think too much about it! Luckily this wine is drinking so well now, you won’t even have to wait!