Head Wilton Hill Shiraz 2022
- 96
- $175
- Drink by: 2025-2040
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The Wilton Hill vineyard in Eden Valley was planted at an altitude of 480 metres back in 1965. Alex uses partial whole bunch fermentation. This wine represents just 0.5% of his total production, so you can be pretty certain that his top fruit is destined for here and the result is a cracker, a wine worthy of the title of Barossa icon. From a top vintage, only 576 bottles were made. Under Diam. The colour is an inky dark maroon with a garnet rim. Still very young, we have notes of chocolate, tobacco leaves, smoked meats, sage, black fruits, coffee beans, beef stock, licorice and a touch of graphite. The oak integration is exemplary. Structure is immaculate with a silky texture and serious length, this is finely balanced with cushiony tannins. Love it. This wine should provide immense pleasure for the next fifteen plus years and continue to improve even further over that period.
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.
