Genista Wines Taking The Mickie Shiraz 2018
- 91
- $30
- Drink by: 2022 - 2028
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Yes, there is a story behind the name, but again, you’ll have to buy a bottle to find out. The family has four precious acres of Barossa Shiraz vines. 2018 was an excellent vintage, with below average yields. A layer of whole bunch/whole berries was placed at the bottom of each of the two open-top fermenters, with the rest destemmed. This allows some carbonic maceration influence to add to the complexity. Fruit was basket pressed to oak, a mix of French and American hogsheads, for a period of 18 months. Maroon in colour, this offers a nose chockful of dark fruits and spices with hints of dry herbs, pepper, blackfruits, chocolate and ripe plums. Soft and juicy, it is a wine of mid-weight, avoiding the tendency for huge wines that the region can sometimes supply. Fresh, this is a wine with a future, and it certainly should drink beautifully over the next five to six years. Lovely wine.
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.
