HASTWELL & LIGHTFOOT 38 DAYS SHIRAZ CABERNET 2016 ($70 / McLaren Vale)
This week I am talking about the quintessential Aussie red wine blend-Shiraz/Cabernet. Created here in Australia a century ago and still barely emulated around the world.
In France Cabernet is grown mainly in Bordeaux whilst Syrah (Shiraz) comes from the Rhone valley- and Near the Twain shall meet.
This combination in truly a case of “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, as the Shiraz flavours peak in the mid palate, just where Cabernet has been known to have a bit of a flavour hole- which is why it is sometimes referred to as a “donut” wine- with a hole in the middle.
There are countless examples of brilliant Shiraz/Cab and Cab/Shiraz blends amongst the best Aussie wines.
Today’s wine is one such example. It is the Hastwell & Lightfoot 38 Days 2016 McLaren Vale Shiraz Cabernet. At eight years old it is just “hitting its straps” as the fruit and tannins meld together. This wine is a deeply coloured red/purple, with a delightful bouquet of red berries, fresh cherries, just the merest whisp of spice and a hint of maturation complexity. The palate is smooth and supple with a smidge of fruit sweetness on the front palate, mountains of appealing sophisticated flavours leading to a slightly grippy, long lingering finish.
This is a real class act that is equally enjoyable with food or on its own.
SUPERB.
