Hobbs 1905 Shiraz 2021
- 96
- $170
- Drink by: 2023-2043
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From vines which were planted, and this will come as no surprise, in 1905. A natural fermentation in open 500 litre vats with gentle hand plunging. Maturation was for two years in new French oak hogsheads with only 250 dozen produced. This is seriously good. An opaque crimson hue. A monumentally impressive Barossa Shiraz. Terrific vintage, ancient vines, finely crafted – this has everything in place for a couple of decades of pleasure. It is immediately apparent that, even in these early days, there is already complexity emerging, and great intensity. Notes of blackberries, aniseed, leather, tobacco leaves, chocolate, coffee beans and cloves. There is a good ten to twenty years here and despite the powerful palate, the wine is finely balanced. There are soft, fine tannins, but loads of them. Rich and long in style, and more than a bit special.
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.
