Allegiance The Artisan McLaren Vale Shiraz 2023
- 93
- $40
- Drink by: 2024-2036
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Sourced from fruit grown in a vineyard situated in the Willunga Foothills, which was planted thirty years ago, the wine spent ten months maturing in French oak, 15% new. Bright purple in colour, this is richly flavoured with chocolate, coffee beans, mocha, licorice and cassis. Big and bold, supple and saturated, this is generously flavoured with excellent length. The oak offers some attractive vanillin characters and there is even a touch of blueberries. A pleasing sappiness here too, with fine balance and satiny tannins. Enjoy over the next six to twelve years.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
