Hobbs of Barossa Tin Lids Aria Secca Shiraz 2020
- 94
- $50
- Drink by: 2022-2032
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Definitely a wine you need to seek out, even if only to experience its differences. From the Barossa Ranges, this is made in what is termed the ‘Amarone/Apassimento’ style, where handpicked grapes are laid out on racks and allowed to ‘semi-dry’. There is no set recipe for the drying – it all depends on conditions at the time. A wild ferment follows in open vats with hand plunging on a daily basis, for around ten days. Then a year maturing in French oak.
Loved it. A very dark maroon. There are intriguing beef stock notes with spices and bay leaf touches. Dark berries, plums and a supple, seductive texture. Delightfully seamless, there are abundant but very fine tannins, impressive length, a richness to it and excellent balance. The palate provides more black cherry notes. This has a decade or more ahead of it and is a fine example of what can be done with Barossa Shiraz to offer a richly flavoured wine of interest, but one which is not too much of a blockbuster. Hard to imagine it won’t prove to be immensely popular.
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.
