Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2005

This stamps an irrefutable claim on the very top rung of Australian shiraz with striking blackberry fruits and a good dose of spicy complexity. There’s a bit of bracken here, fragrant rose petals, lighter fragrance, some deeper, profound aromas and impressive complexity. The palate has an impossibly long drive and intricate detail, delivering an innate sense of harmony and seemingly endless length. Toasted spices float across a swathe of blackberry fruit. A landmark single-vineyard shiraz with soul and distinction. Saturated with flavour and still ascending to its prime. Drinking well now and for two decades or more.