Mr Riggs Three Corner Jack Shiraz Montepulciano 2023

A wine that in the past has been a traditional blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot, here it moves to a new variation taking in winemaker Ben Riggs’s much loved Montepulciano grown in the Kersbrook district of the Adelaide Hills. What that brings to the duet is a wild floral/herbal aromatic, assuming the role Cabernet often takes in the more familiar Great Australian Red blend. There’s some leafiness, too, noticeably in the palate, while dark berry crush flavours burst into action at the same time with a fair amount of intensity, leaving its acid/tannin structures to act more as an underlayer rather than impacting the wine’s overall drinkability. Excellent value.