Hugh Hamilton Black Blood II Shiraz 2010

Hugh Hamilton Black Blood II Shiraz 2010

  21:55    Stu.

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Tasted at Swirl, Sniff, Spit's Scarce Earth tasting and again a day and two days later.  From a vineyard planted in 1993, off of the Mcmurtrie road and on sandy loam over alluvial river flat soils.

Dark, dense, tarry, chocolate notes against hints of plum and mulberry.  Tasted alongside the Brash Higgins SHZ 09, this came across as a sullen bruiser in comparison to the light perfume of that wine.

Tannin here was more forward too, grainy, tingly tannin.  Savoury notes weaving their way around the palate, generating a lovely persistence of flavour and feel.  It really was the exquisite tannin structure that made this wine for me, good chewy tannin.  Long, fine and drying - working with the inherent flavour of the wine.  94 - Excellent

Source: Swirl Sniff Spit Scarce Earth Tasting Leftovers
Price: $50
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au/

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Brash Higgins SHZ Shiraz 2009

Brash Higgins SHZ Shiraz 2009

  15:57    Stu.

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I've seen some interesting literary references applied to reviews of Brash Higgins wines this week.  If I were to extend the theme here, I'd be thinking Suskind's Perfume, not for any link to morality, more the reference to smell and its relationship to emotion, place and time.

Initially the wine displays an overt perfume, one I heard referenced by well-regarded scribe Jeremy Pringle as (and I hope neither he, nor the wine's proprietor mind me paraphrasing/referencing): "like a lady who had applied a little too much scent to her person".

Given time, it settles, and 24 hours later it shows choc-plum-orange notes, still fresh and fragrant, but hinting at the depth within.  More than once its perfume, did make me think of Mataro.

Dense, richly layered, with hints of choc-mint on the palate.  Opening up it shows itself to be more expressive, gravelly, grainy, with hints of herbs and violets.  Fine tannins, clean through a generous length.  92 - Very Good

Source: #ScarceEarth Tasting
Price: $37
Alcohol:14.7%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://brashhiggins.com

Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

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