Hanhndorf Hill Adelaide Hills Blueblood Blaufrankisch 2019

Like with the Zweigelt, Hahndorf Hill was the first Australian winery to plant Blaufrankisch (about 35 years ago), which is Austria’s second most-planted dark-skinned variety. This is four years of age now, and there’s an appealing combination of primary and tertiary characters. Raspberry dominates but is joined by some sweet strawberry, graphite, and herbs, a touch of vanilla, and some mushroom and stewed plums from bottle age. The palate is silky and smooth, verging on medium+ body, and with food it’s a delight. I recommend having a little patience with this wine, because as much as I liked it on the first night, after leaving it under gas for a few days, I revisited it and found that it had opened up a lot more and become spicier and richer, so it definitely deserved an extra point.