Kilikanoon Ashton 1920 Mataro 2021

The attraction of old vines can be hard to pin down, sometimes you just need to drink it all in, literally. Planted in 1920, these centenarian vines – one year older and they would qualify for ancestor vine classification! – contribute a delightfully understated quality. No showing off here, it’s more a case of good depth and concentration of fruit and a confident balance right across the board. Plum, blueberry, bramble, chocolate, sage and liquorice aromas are lifted and complex. There is a lot of flavour here, it’s quite deceptive, with a strong and lingering thread of blackstrap liquorice and spice running the length of the wine with ripe, sweet fruit in tow and dried herbs. Fine tannins help define shape and structure, together with integrated oak. Together, the effect is a delight.