Sorby Adams The Thing Shiraz 2018
- 96
- $150
- Drink by: 2023-2043
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This is a blend of Shiraz from both the Eden Valley and the Barossa. For anyone thinking that means not quite one thing or another, I would suggest that they think best of both worlds. This is a stunningly rich Shiraz, glorious now and certain to drink beautifully for a couple of decades. The Eden Valley fruit hails from vineyards planted in 1932 by Pastor Franz Julius Lehmann, father to the legendary Peter. Those vineyards sit at 475 metres above sea level. The wine spent 40 months in French oak hogsheads maturing. Heavy bottle, large punt, cork and wax covering.
Inky black purple hue. This is a big, bold chocolatey generous Shiraz. If you like those beautiful and powerful Barossa Shiraz, you will absolutely love this. Plenty of dark berries, cassis, leather, mocha, plums, coffee bean and chocolate notes. Lashings of oak but it is well integrated and the wine is nicely balanced. Still very youthful but what a future – ten to twenty years. The palate exhibits more of an aniseed note with a soft, creamy texture, pillowy tannins and great length. A cracker.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
