Hugh Hamilton The Mongrel Sangiovese 2021

Sangiovese was planted in Australia to much fanfare, as the next big thing. It never quite made it, but the team here have summed it up perfectly – “We got a whole lot better at working with it when we realised that what we want matters very little to this grape”. It does what it wants and when it works, it can be a delicious wine worthy of the reputation it has built in Tuscany. McLaren Vale seems to work as well as anywhere in this country for good Sangiovese. Blood red in colour, with the aromas moving through leather, cherries, animal skins, spices and herbs. It then has some good grip, a nice line of acidity and fine tannins. This should work best if given another year to come together and then is drunk over the next three to four years. Good example of the grape.