The 2021 Hillside Shiraz is succulent and yet lean: it manages to achieve the silky blackcurrant character that I so associate with McLaren Vale Shiraz but also has a tight graphite core of tannin that is a lovely foil or offset to the fruit. It takes a while to get in the swing of things here, but once there, the wine starts to show licorice and kicked earth, gravel, dried mint, arnica, Amaro-esque bitters and herbs, pressed flowers and olive tapenade. There is a lot going on, with a fair bit of grunt and sway, but ultimately, the minerality here holds it together with poise. This is a big wine and almost old-school but very good. RP
Plenty of dark plums, cherries, blackberries, baking spices and smoke. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins and lots of saline blackberries. Concentrated and velvety with a long, spicy finish. JS