It’s a perplexing wine this. A closed and somewhat unforgiving sort of Shiraz really, with very little give for a Hunter Shiraz. I think I see what it is getting at but commercially it seems peculiarly hard.

The nose is shut, all big oak and dried earth. It’s a fraction dessicated on the palate too, earthen and a little baked but with some very serious structure behind it. In fact it’s probably a little too raw at the moment, presenting as a rather long, firmly structured and even dour Hunter Shiraz in context.

An awkward wine and a real savoury introvert. But that sense of seriousness underneath captured a little bit of intrigue for me. Still not much joy in drinking it though. 16.8/89+