Zonte’s Footsteps Lake Doctor Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2020

Like any cricket fan, I am familiar with the Fremantle Doctor but I’ll confess that the Lake Doctor was new to me. Apparently, it is the local name for the breezes which come all the way from Antarctica, over the Great Southern Ocean, to revive the vineyards (and I suspect vineyard workers) facing the heat of summer. Forgive me flogging the proverbial dead horse but Langhorne Creek is such an underrated region for delicious, generous, top value reds. This is further evidence of that.

Deep blood red in colour with notes of spices, chocolate, animal hides, herbals, dry vegetation, red fruits, warm earth, charcuterie and more. The wine is well balanced, supple of texture, full of richness of flavour, finishing with satiny tannins and excellent length. The team suggest drinking it with “anything off the grill (preferably charcoal that is)”. Love this wine now but it will surely improve over time. If you can hold off for three or four years, even better, but don’t be afraid to put a case in the cellar for a decade.