2017 Underhill Shiraz

Aged for 12 months in French puncheons (25% new). Wonderful black fruit with mocha, leather and spice complexity. Long, long finish – this lays it on thick. Very impressive, delivers the full dynamic range of Australian Shiraz. (RH)

The fruit for this 2017 Shiraz Underhill was handpicked from vines planted in 1973, and there was a combination of 75% whole berry and 25% whole bunches in the ferment. The wine spent 10 days to two weeks on the skins and matured for 12 months in French barriques (30% new). In a word: lovely. So lovely. The 2017 Shiraz Underhill has gained a sheath of savory exotic spice that overlays the purple and red fruit. This is vital and alive yet maturing and elegant. It shows firm but lithe tannins and an array of buoyant forrest fruit. It has fresh blackberries for days. The aftertaste leaves a trail of dried herbs—bay and oregano, largely. This is a super, super wine. Elegant.

Opaque ruby. Blackberry, blueberry, licorice, cola and pungent flowers on the subtly oak-spiced nose. Smooth and appealingly sweet, offering cherry cola, dark berry preserve, bitter chocolate and vanilla flavors that steadily firm up through the back half. Shows fine definition and building smokiness on the very long, penetrating finish, which leaves behind kirsch, mocha and peppery spice notes.