Forest Hill Vineyard Block 9 Shiraz 2023

Intensely pigmented – magenta almost. This is young, but so expressive. A core of black fruit, brambles and wild blueberry spice is layered with baked salt, milk chocolate toast, charcoal and plenty of savoury, terracotta dust. A wild, iodine, ferrous note compels. The palate is vivid, with a mouth-filling energy that draws a long line of fruit, hung taut with fine, lacy, yet firm acidity. This is so vibrant and concentrated that it’s like a new palette of gouache paints, vivid and pure and filled with excitement for what is to come from it. Whole bunch spice squeezes the palate, and the almost chalky tannins are structural without bulk. This feels like an expression of the vineyard, there is no oak or overworked winemaking to get in the way of the expression. A wonderful union of people and place.