MCLAREN SAND HILLS

It’s a very expressive nose with sweet red fruits, blueberry and plum leaping from the glass. Another sniff reveals nuances of earth and game which give the wine another dimension and provides an indication of the direction the wine is heading. The palate is plush and opens with bright, pure fresh fruit characters that Grenache does so well. The mid palate is fleshy with flavours of salami, soil and game building to a long finish with fragrant Indian spices mingling with the chalky, flowery tannins that are lively and lingering. There’s a huge amount of flavour and complexity while maintaining textural interest. The tannins are wonderfully balanced and the graphite like acidity is linear and provides wonderful focus to the rich fruit. It’s a wine that is drinking really well on release, but it’s also set for a fascinating journey over the next 15 years and definitely a wine to be carefully cellared.