Hutton Vale Farm Grenache Mataro 2017

Far from the usual Eden Valley blend, this wine came about thanks to a little mistake in the vineyard – the accidental replacement of grenache vines with mataro. It’s not all bad news with mataro’s natural inclination towards earthy, savoury fruits clearly at home in the Eden Valley. 2017 was a dry vintage and it’s made this wine better suited to earlier drinking. That said, it’s already displaying attractive aged complexity so is at peak right about now. The fruit characters are savoury and hearty – mixed spice and sage aromas over a bed of baked earth, terracotta, mulberry and oak. What follows is a dry and slightly rustic palate – tarry, meaty, dark fruits flavours are supported by chewy, drying mataro tannins that linger nicely. It’s bold in style so well suited to stews and roasts.