Hentley Farm The Beauty Shiraz 2021

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. After years of researching and exploring the Barossa Valley for the most iconic plots, Keith Hentschke founded Hentley Farm in 1997 with his wife Alison. The estate expanded in 2004 and now sits on around 60 hectares of vineyards, planted primarily to Shiraz, with Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and a small amount of Viognier. The Shiraz grapes are sourced from a plot along Greenock Creek, in the cooler part of the estate. Here the vines enjoy morning shade and are rooted in deep, dark clay soil with crushed blue stone. The clone is exactly the same as The Beast wine, but the terroir plays a key role and the result is a more delicate and slightly more elegant wine. The Shiraz is also co-fermented with a touch of Viognier. This is a graceful wine with a smooth and complex aromatic profile that opens with berries, floral and white pepper notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied and velvety, rounded and expressive with a pleasant fruit concentration, a lively acidity, and firm but ripe and well-integrated tannins. The finish is long and fruity with a light hint of spice. Try it with duck, pasta amatriciana, or pheasant stew.

Price: £41.26 from 8wines UK