Briar Ridge Stockhausen Hunter Valley Shiraz 2022

Karl Stockhausen is a legend in the Hunter Valley wine industry. This wine salutes him. That face, that smile in the photo that graces the front label of this wine is as charming and disarmingly friendly as the wine itself. Expect a lively, juicy, delicious, modern style of Hunter Shiraz, medium-bodied and fruit forward. Red and black fruit aromas gather, regional briar and earthiness are noted as are some delightful baking spices. The aromatics are a feature, the result, according to the winemaker, of a warm, natural ferment and an additional 10 days on skins. Oak is nicely integrated, too, following just 10 months in seasoned French oak puncheons. The winemaking restraint is rewarded in a beautifully knitted wine finishing with a brisk tannin dryness.