A wine from the Heathcote region in Victoria, Australia – an area I visited a year ago in 2023. A very dark burgundy red colour. A salvo of equally black aromas rise from the glass – cherry, bramble, boysenberry, cracked pepper, damson, liquorice, bitter chocolate, date and iron earth. A deep concentration and richness and I suggest it has seen quite a bit of new French oak, with that toasty, vanilla note enveloping the fruit in the palate. A fine tannin profile and sleek texture add elegance, moving the wine away from just ‘big’ into a plushness with a good flow of acidity coming through. That balance develops as you take a second sip, and the finish – rich and complex, has good length. 94pts
Sanguine Estate d’Orsa Shiraz 2017
