"Thommo" is marking the 25th anniversary of his eponymous Hunter-based wine company by launching six new-release wines from the 2019, 2020 and 2022 vintages and a superb re-release of flagship reds headlined by the $100-a-bottle 2018 Kiss Shiraz.

Along with the 2018 Kiss, the re-releases are the 2017 Elenay Shiraz ($65), the 2019 Elenay Shiraz ($55), 2017 The Cote Shiraz ($45) and the 2018 Sweetwater Shiraz ($40). The wines are at thomaswines.com.au and the Pokolbin cellar door and were featured last Saturday at a 25-year celebration dinner at Esca Bimbadgen.

The new releases are the $23 2022 Synergy Semillon, the $32 2019 Herlestone Shiraz and 2019 Wills Hill Shiraz, and the $35 2020 Sweetwater Shiraz and the $25 2020 Synergy Shiraz and 2020 Two of a Kind Shiraz.

The latter is from 52 per cent Hunter Ridgeview and Pokolbin Estate vineyards and Barry Clarke's 48 per cent Blewett Springs sub-region McLaren Vale shiraz

The Herlstone is from the Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin, 1968-planted, former Rothbury Estate vines and the Wills Hill is from the Wine Country Drive-Broke Road Black Creek vineyard previously owned by veteran wine grower Joe Lesnik.

Three of the new releases are from the 2020 bushfire-plagued vintage from which Andrew lost 60% of his shiraz crop with smoke taint "putting the knife" through grape harvest from the Cote d'Or, Dam Block and Trevena (DJV) vineyards and preventing an OC and Fordwich Hill semillon.

Andrew says the 2020 grapes his team managed to harvest looked good indeed. The 1969 old vines Pokolbin Estate, usually the source of Kiss shiraz reds, and Ridgeview vineyards had relatively low-to-negligible taint levels.

Although a Kiss was ruled out, the Pokolbin Estate grapes produced the 2020 Synergy Shiraz and Sweetwater Road, Rothbury, Ridgeview vineyard contributed to the Hunter component of the Two of a Kind Shiraz.

The neighbouring Sweetwater Estate of Iris Capital chief Sam Arnaout gave a much-reduced 370 dozen bottles of Thomas 2020 Sweetwater, which Andrew thinks is possibly the best shiraz of the vintage.

Andrew has been making wine in the Hunter for 35 years, learning his craft from his McLaren Vale winemaker father and honing his passion for semillon and shiraz at Tyrrell's from 1987 to 1997 after which he established Thomas Wines.

THE Andrew Thomas 2018 Kiss Shiraz has developed beautifully since my first tasting in 2020. With 14.3% alcohol, a deep purple glow in the glass, enticing cassis scents, it has vibrant blackcurrant front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows plum, bramble jelly, spice, mint chocolate and savoury oak and a finish of earthy tannins.

PRICE: $100.

DRINK WITH: duck a l'orange.

AGEING: 12 years.

RATING: 5.5 stars (out of 6)

THIS first-release Andrew Thomas 2022 Synergy Vineyard Selection Semillon augurs well for rest of this vintage's semillons. Shining green-tinted straw, it has tropical fruit salad scents and elegant lemon front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows kiwifruit, apple peel, flint and nascent honey and slatey acid plays at the finish.

PRICE: $23.

DRINK WITH: spring rolls.

AGEING: seven years.

RATING: 5 stars

A HUNTER-McLAREN Vale mix, the Andrew Thomas 2020 Two of a Kind Shiraz has 14.4% alcohol, inky purple hues, fruitcake aromas and plush plum on the front-palate. The middle shows Morello cherry, briar, licorice and cedary oak and a finish of dusty tannins. Thomas wines are at thomaswines.com.au and the Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin, cellar door.

PRICE: $25.

DRINK WITH: lasagne.

AGEING: six years.

RATING: 4.5 stars

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