Collector Lantern Red 2019

Those who know me well would know that I am a sucker for Tempranillo and this is a good one, blended with Touriga and Grenache, it’s the Iberian wonder trio. The actual blend is 54% Tempranillo, 41% Touriga and 5% Grenache. It’s a bit of a cross regional mix too, with Canberra District Tempranillo and Grenache blended with Touriga from the warmer Hilltops near Young.

It’s pretty plush on the palate with soft, velvety fruit richness and layers of dark mulberry and blueberry all held together by a firm backbone of tannin. There’s definitely potential to age here but equally, there’s still enough ripeness and flavour to carry the tannins. Somehow my default whenever I see Tempranillo is roast lamb, there’s just something about the firm tannins that sits well with cutting through the richness of the lamb.

Fergus McGhie

A native Canberran, Fergus is a wine fanatic who happily works in one of Australia’s finest small vineyards right in his own back yard. His fine dining restaurant training proved more useful and nearly more interesting than an arts degree at the ANU and a love of wine followed. Vintages as a cellar hand removed the mystique but didn’t quell the love. As a wine retailer, Fergus learned there is always another great wine around the corner and as a wine writer for The Canberra Times he learned that the stories behind the wines make them taste better. An occasional show judge and snowboarder, he has a guilty love of simple, uncomplicated wine, craft beers and a well-made Negroni.