Ox Hardy Slate Shiraz 2021

Ox Hardy Slate Shiraz 2021

Matured for 20 months in French oak. Magnificent dense inky black core with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Intense ripe blackberry, liquorice and black cherry aromas waft through the olfactory senses followed by some vanillin cedar, scorched earth and peppered fennel like notes. Rich and concentrated yet showing ample freshness, lavish black cherry, liquorice and black cherry fruits are framed by a taut tannin structure that still manages to retain a polished feel. Vanillin cedar, earthy graphite and peppered fennel characters ensue. Controlled yet undeniably powerful it finishes long, structured, deeply fruited and quite energetic.

From the Moreton Bay block in the Upper Tintara Vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub-region, this is the fourth release of this wine. It was fermented in the old slate fermenters, which were built back in 1863 (they fell out of use in 1927, but Andrew Hardy restored one in 2018). This was from the winery used by Andrew’s great-great-grandfather. The fruit was hand bucketed into the fermenter, regularly hand-plunged, then bucketed back out before pressing into barrel, 20 months in French oak. Just 4,900 bottles made of this superb Shiraz. Dark maroon. The nose is all chocolate, cassis, cigar box, tobacco leaves and blackberries. There is good complexity here, and knife-edge balance while exhibiting such richness and a supple texture, seamless and utterly gorgeous before an extremely long finish. Everything is in balance to ensure a very long future, at least twenty years, but this is so good now, so hard to imagine much will be left by then. Drink 2023-2053. 96 Points Ken Gargett – WinePilot.com