Henschke The Bootmaker Mataro 2024

One of Barossa Valley’s great gifts, if a little under the mainstream radar, is the Mataro variety, often seen hiding with GSM blends, often the third wheel inside those, though increasingly taking more of the spotlight. Here it’s a 100% all-in varietal, all from a single vineyard in the Valley’s North Para low country. The wine is fleshy, fragrant, spicy with peppery senses and a herbal note of dried saltbush leaves through the palate which has an ease and elegance to it, aided by superfine acidity and soft, berry-ish tannins. Just all-round delicious – and a real treat with the likes of a serious steak sandwich.

Tony Love

Journalist at Winepilot

Tony is best known for his 10 years as News Corp’s National Wine Writer, with weekly columns in major metropolitan mastheads throughout Australia including The Adelaide Advertiser, The Sydney Daily Telegraph and the Melbourne Herald Sun. He continues to write feature articles and columns for all the major Australian wine media publications. Tony has also worked as a restaurant reviewer, section editor, book editor, digital content provider, journalism teacher and was named Wine Communicators of Australia 2018 Legend of the Vine (SA). Find out more about Tony at tonylove.com.au

Wine writingwine critic