Wine Code Breaker #377

If you come by someone who has a property in the Granite Belt area and innocently ask them what they grow, their response might be “granite”.  It is an area where the parent material pokes out through the soil as mounds that can be anywhere from small to enormous.  Finding a site for a vineyard becomes that little bit harder and then managing it within the constraints imposed by the climate gets a tad more challenging.  Get it right, or perhaps having the conditions to get it right, and the granitic soils become a haven for cool climate wines that will more than please the senses.

The 2019 Tobin Estate Max Shiraz Block Two is from the Granite Belt region in Queensland. An at once vibrantly coloured wine that splashes bright dark reds around the glass. The nose is highly perfumed with plums and cherries transitioning to blueberries as the dominant fruit. Herbs of rosemary and bay leaf play with a quite spicy lift of white pepper, vanilla, fennel and cardamoms. On the palate, the blueberries and spices mingle easily within a tapestry of super fine tannins. A delightful mouthfeel is aided by the lively acidity. This and the persistence of flavours belies the efforts it has taken to get this to a glass.

Enjoy!