Ihana Shiraz (Valtteri Bottas x Oliver’s Taranga) Edition #1 2022

Valtteri Bottas apparently loves Australian wine, especially Shiraz, almost as much as he loves racing cars. Which explains why he teamed up with winemaker, Corrina Wright, to develop this wine from Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards’ premium McLaren Vale fruit. The story goes that, on his first taste of the wine, Valtteri uttered “Ihana”, Finnish for ‘wonderful, marvellous, fantastic’. It begins with aromas of perfumed musky spice, blackberry and plums. It’s intriguingly brooding but not heavy. A moment in the glass reveals blueberries and the sweet fragrance of deep red roses in the cool of a summer afternoon with a hint of vanilla pastry. In your mouth the wine is incredibly smooth and supple with soft round tannins. Don’t let the buoyancy of the tannins mislead you though, they provide plenty of structure, promising a long life ahead. Richly concentrated, yet elegant, carried by a lingering, savoury finish. It weighs in at 14.5% alcohol and is gently cradled by the bright spicy fruit, not showing a hint of warmth. Ihana.