The Grampians have had a long history of producing world class Shiraz and with this iteration from Rory Story, we have a more restrained version that still showcases the region's strength. The wine has a nice lick of new oak which adds layers of spice alongside dark plums, plenty of pepper and black olives. An absolute belter.

'The Story' is all about Rory. He will tell you otherwise, but we often think the maker is as important as the wines they produce. Quality is the only intention that Rory Lane ever has when creating wine for 'The Story'. Never one to credit his own genius for the wines, instead, he acknowledges the brilliance of the vineyards and his growers, often super marginal and cool places - much riskier to work with on a consistent basis. Take the crazy pandemic and bushfire year of 2020 for example. Rory basically didn't make any wine that year, for a variety of reasons, and not only because of the unforgettable fires, but ultimately felt the vintage wasn't good enough for 'The Story'. To virtually 'declassify' or reject an entire year (okay, the 2 tonnes of his best Shiraz aside) shows you a dedication to uncompromised quality for his brand. He is all about respecting place and the wines need to reflect that. Seriously intelligent. With a winery in the 'burbs of Melbourne, Rory Lane creates his wines from the vineyard first. Having access to incredible fruit from growers whose relationships he established and has nurtured since 'The Story's' infancy in the mid 00's. These growers know and trust Rory's winemaking prowess, and have even been guided by his intuitive foresight as to what grapes to grow where.