2020 Killerman’s Run Shiraz – Kilikanoon Wines.

2020 Killerman’s Run Shiraz – Kilikanoon Wines.

Kilikanoon Wines, located in the Australian Clare Valley, has carved out a reputation for crafting powerful yet balanced wines. Among its flagship wines, the Killerman’s Run label stands as a compelling showcase of the winery’s deft touch. 

In this review we taste their 2020 Killerman’s Run Shiraz.

About the Region

Clare Valley, located about 120 km north of the city of Adelaide, is renowned for its continental climate with warm days and cool nights. While known for its Rieslings, Clare Vally is also a fertile ground for Shiraz. Shiraz in Clare Valley thrives in the region’s iron-rich soils. The grapes benefit from the diurnal temperature variation. This fluctuation in day and night temperatures allows the grapes to develop full ripeness, while retaining freshness and aromatic complexity.

About the Winery

Founded in 1997 by winemaker Kevin Mitchell, Kilikanoon quickly rose to prominence. Coming from a long line of grape growers, Kevin had the opportunity to turn the vision of creating his own wine brand into reality. The winery’s name is now synonymous with award-winning wines from Clare Valley. We name Oracle Shiraz, Mort’s Reserve Riesling and Prodigal Grenache. Shiraz is playing a central role in the portfolio. The winery is partially owned by the Chinese wine company Changyu Pioneer Wine Co, earlier mentioned in our article about Château Changyu Moser XV.

The Killerman’s Run label pays tribute to a solitary local character named Killerman. We quote: “Mr. Killerman lived a huble live in hills, hunting rabits and using the rich landscape of the Clare Valley to his advantage.”  According to the winery itself, Kilikanoon continues this philosophy of leveraging the unique and diverse terroir of the Clare Valley, by producing wines of consistent character and quality.

About the Wine

The 2020 Killerman’s Run Shiraz is a blend of grapes sourced from several vineyards across Clare Valley. Each parcel is vinified separately in small batches and aged in a combination of seasoned French and American oak barrels (‘hogsheads’) for fourteen months. 

Inky purple and deeply opaque in the glass, this Shiraz opens with an expressive nose of ripe blackberry, black cherry, marmalade and plum. The aromatic profile is rich yet lifted by fresh notes violet, mint, and eucalyptus.  vanilla, sweet spice, clove, liquorice, and dark chocolate adding depth.

On the palate, the wine is generous with sufficient freshness, offering a mouth-filling attack of ripe fruits like bramble, blueberry, dark plum and a teaspoon of compote. Full-bodied, rich on alcohol (14,5% ABV), but balanced by refreshing acids. The acids take over the scene and lead over grippy yet ripe tannins towards a slightly austere and peppery aftertaste. 

We reward this generous yet balanced Clare Valley Shiraz with a well-deserved 90 DWA-points. Enjoy now or cellar for mid-term development.

This review is written by our own Hermen Jansen. The wine and background information are provided by Changyu Moser XV, for which we would like to thank Lenz Moser and Natia Wasieleski.

Price:               ~€24,00

Taste Date:     March 2025

Score:              90/100 DWA Score

Website:      Kilikanoon Wines

Writer:             Hermen Jansen

Glassware:      Spiegelau Definition Bordeaux