Robert Oatley The Pennant McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018

The Pennant series represent the elite flagship wines from Larry Cherubino and the team at Robert Oatley. Expect these wines to not only reflect the best of the vintage and region, but to be exceptional drinking. This superb McLaren Vale Shiraz comes from grapes selected across the region with the La Colline Vineyard dominating. The fruit is all from vines which are forty to eighty years of age. The wine is fermented on skins for two to three weeks and then matures in French oak, 20% of which is new, prior to bending and bottling. Near opaque black in colour, the aromas that swirl around the glass include cassis, coffee beans, plush blueberry and blackberry notes and mocha, while the wine obviously enjoys some lovely oak integration. Great balance and length, supple and seamless. While the plushness is compelling, the wine also exhibits a sense of refinement. Very long and with satiny tannins to finish. A cracking Shiraz which will drink superbly over the next decade.