Hentley Farm The Beast Shiraz 2022

Sporting an awesome magenta-splashed crimson hue in the glass, this smells Barossa through and through. Deep, deep blackberry and satsuma fruits, studded with ironstone and hints of fruitcake spice, grilled figs, Old Gold chocolate, turned earth and roasting meats. Weighty and full-bodied, there's plenty of latent power here, balanced despite the heady 15.2% alc with fine, sedimentary tannins, leaving no doubt that it will cellar admirably. Drink 2024 - 2038.

This is pretty full-on but it nails the style. Tar, coffee, blackberry and plum characters roll into cedarwood, woodsmoke, peppercorn and vanilla. There’s a sizeable bloom of fruit and a wide spread of tannin; drinking this is like stepping face-first into a wave. It’s entirely convincing. It shows its oak and its warmth but then, it shows its everything. Drink 2025 - 2035.

This 2022 Shiraz The Beast is the iron fist in a velvet glove. It delivers an intense core of licorice, blackberry and crushed rocks with a lining of mineral spice. Tight and firm to start, it slowly unwinds with a dense mix of fruit and tannins fleshing out on the finish. Still young, this is best enjoyed with some time in bottle. Drink 2027 - 2035.