Bleasdale The Powder Monkey Single Vineyard Shiraz 2018

This wine is a tribute to Frank Potts, the founder of the Bleasdale estate, which is still in family hands. A powder monkey was the nickname for the younger boys, employed on British Royal Naval vessels to deliver gunpowder from the magazines to the cannons during battle. In 1824, aged just nine years of age, Frank Potts was a powder monkey.

The wine comes from the very best shiraz vineyard owned by the family, located behind the cellars for those who have visited the winery. The wine is made from destemmed grapes which go into open fermenters. There is 15% whole berry and 5-10% whole bunch for complexity. The wine comes from careful barrel selection.

Dark maroon with a tight, concentrated nose. While there are some red berry notes, redcurrants in particular, black fruits dominate. Dry herbs, bay leaf, aniseed, beef stock, chocolate and blackberries intertwine. This is still very young. There is very good length, impressive intensity and balance, right through to firm, slightly grainy tannins. This is good now, but expect it to really step up over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink their Reserve and/or Generations over the next few years, so this can show at its best.