Our winemakers know what they want and how to create it. So, these days I keep my views to myself on how to make wine and which wines to purchase that are offered to us by other makers. When I do speak up it is to make sure a particular gem is not overlooked.
I spotted this Shiraz on the tasting bench a few months ago and said in very clear terms – do not let this wine pass. So here it is.
The first Albion Hills was a Langhorne Creek Cabernet from 2011 and many since though the Albion Hills does not appear every vintage. We are fans of Langhorne Creek as this district deserves a place at the table with McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley.
This wine has complex flavours and great density of colour. Appealing in its youth it will go on to develop for the next five years though like most of todays advanced styles the fruit weight has been captured with less emphasis on the extraction of tannins that winemakers of 30 years ago were keen to include. Recall the pressings.
In general Glug supports the move to flavour from the fruit with less emphasis on the flavour that builds from maturation or ageing. This Shiraz is worth every penny.
