Bec Hardy Pertaringa Tipsy Hill Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The fruit for this excellent McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Blewitt Springs sub-region. The name comes from a garden on the property which features a rare rose called the Tipsy Hill Imperial Concubine. Why anyone would name a rose the Tipsy Hill Imperial Concubine is information that eludes me, but it is a lovely back story (personally, I’d have gone with Imperial Concubine for the name of the wine – that sounds much more exotic). The Cabernet block forms just 1.7 hectares and was planted in 1999. Maturation was in French oak hogsheads for twenty months, 30% of which was new. Under cork. The colour is effectively black with a very dark maroon rim. The wine is intense yet balanced at all times and offers notes of chocolate, cassis, tobacco leaves, truffles, blackberries, cloves, coffee beans and mocha. Even a touch of blueberries. More chocolate emerges towards the finish of the palate. The wine has balance and depth and really is very long on the finish, with firm, fine tannins. There is no reason this wine won’t provide pleasure for twenty-five years, but for those without the patience, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had along the journey.