Bec Hardy Garden Series Shiraz McLaren Vale 2022
- 93
- $30
- Drink by: 2024-2036
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McLaren Vale Shiraz from a superb vintage, this is cracking value and delicious drinking. After destemming and then fermentation in stainless steel, the wine stays on skins for nine days and then maturation in older French oak hogsheads. An inky dark maroon, this is utterly delicious. Ripe, with chocolate, cassis, mocha, coffee beans and black fruits, this is rich, generous and saturated with sumptuous flavours. The palate sees the emergence of darker fruits, cloves, licorice, very dark chocolate and axle grease supported by good acidity, a firm finish and impressive length. Six to twelve years ahead of it.
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.
