HASELGROVE WINES Catkin Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Catkins are the bunches of Hazel flowers seen in late winter and believed to signify the origin of harvest. The fruit used here hails from four separate sites in McLaren Vale. Each parcel is made discretely and only blended after twenty months maturation in a combination of new and older French oak. The colour here is a deep purple in the shape of a big, bold and full throttle McLaren Vale Shiraz. It offers good concentration with notes of blackcurrants, bay leaves, cloves, black olives, black fruits, cassis and especially chocolate. With time in the glass, the wine opened up even more and those black fruits, especially cassis, really came to dominate. Soft, supple, impressively long and with silky tannins, this is really good. Enjoy it for at least the next ten to twelve years, likely longer. 

DANDELION VINEYARDS Firehawk Of Mclaren Vale Shiraz, McLaren Vale

The fruit here hails from a single vineyard which overlooks Willunga in McLaren Vale, which the team believe provides their best Shiraz. The Firehawk is a native bird of prey which has proved invaluable to the local winemakers as they eat rabbits and help scare away birds which like the grapes. Two weeks fermentation before basket pressing into French barriques for a year and a half maturing, with one-third of the barriques new. Dark maroon colour, the nose has some earthy notes, cloves, dark berries, leather, tar, tobacco leaves, coffee grinds and chocolate. A savoury style, it offers generosity with a soft and slightly creamy texture. The palate sees the emergence of cassis, espresso notes and more black fruits. Soft tannins with a very long finish, this is impressive stuff. Expect it to provide pleasure for at least the next twelve to fifteen years.