Ox Hardy Upper Tintara Shiraz 2017

There is nothing delicate in this wine, from start to finish. It’s sourced from holy ground in McLaren Vale – the famed Hardy family Upper Tintara vineyard and the 2017 vintage has provided plenty of richness and density to this shiraz. Deeply coloured, it is an unashamedly ripe, generous and oaky style. It opens with an explosion of dark berry fruits, with blackberry standing out, which is well matched to sweet toasty oak. What follows is then mouthfilling, fleshy and generous – it’s hedonistic but also never loses its shape and is rounded off with some savoury elements of ground allspice and baked earth with a zip of acidity to brighten up the finish. Tannins are there but this feels like an early drinking style to be enjoyed over the next 5 years in front of a log fire.