Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz 2022 

‘Restrained richness’ is the term that springs to mind. Savoury pan juices, iodine minerality, gravel, blood plum, bay leaf lift, whispers of clove, black pepper and blackcurrant. The fruit takes a backseat to the wine’s savouriness, but it ties it all together nicely. The palate is restrained and cool, with a good balance of power and finesse: black cherry, black pepper, bay leaf, blackcurrant, some creamy oak and some clove in the mouth perfume. It’s concentrated and ripe, but so controlled and precise. The tannins make themselves known, asserting a stacked frame on which long length carries. The quintessential Australian blend is showing its worth in a big way here, with a wine of restrained complexity and straight-up class. This has a long life ahead based on its balance and structure, though some may find it hard to wait.