Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz Mclaren Vale 2016 (750ml)

 

Rated 94 Points by James Suckling

 

A wine that really shows the prowess and attractive nature of the shiraz that this vineyard can produce.  The concentrated yet fresh red plums and cherries really sing on the palate.  Tannins glide like layers of silk.  A brilliant wine.  Drink or hold.  Screw cap.

 

Rated 94 Points by Wine Spectator

 

There’s a lovely sense of restraint here, with firm tannins reining in complex, detailed flavors of blueberry pie, kirsch and dark chocolate.  Espresso, clove and caramel notes add even more complexity on the finish, where the flavors continue to unfold. Drink now through 2034.

 

Rated 93 Points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 

Overtones of vanilla and cedar mark the nose of the 2016 Brooks Road Shiraz, which aged in 20% - 30% new French oak.  Herbal notes and hints of green peppercorns add nuance to the ripe cherry flavors of this full-bodied red.  The tannins are supple, making this wine approachable now, but they also linger softly on the finish, suggesting up to a decade of additional ageability.

 

Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz

 

Mclaren Vale 2016

 

Named for the street on which the vineyard is located, Brooks Road Shiraz exhibits the compelling single site character of the vineyard.  2018 Brooks Road exhibits the compelling dynamic between savory and fruit flavours which is textbook Shiraz from Clarendon.  Sweet blueberry and rich red fruits interlace with notes of clove and menthol.  The palate is expansive but pure finesses with a beautifully balanced acidity leading to a silky finish.

 

Founded:  2012

 

Location:  McLaren Vale, South Australia

 

Winemaker:  Christopher Carpenter

 

The Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard covers a steep cut of country from the ridgetops above the village of Clarendon to the Onkaparinga River in the gorge below.  Since its establishment in 1971, the Hickinbotham vineyard has become a part of Australia's wine heritage, supplying fruit to produce many of Australia's greatest wines.  At the helm of the historic vineyard since 2012, winemaker Christopher Carpenter is continuing the winemaking legacy that began at Hickinbotham nearly 50 years ago.

 

Named for the street on which the vineyard is located, Brooks Road Shiraz exhibits the compelling single site character of the vineyard.  2018 Brooks Road exhibits the compelling dynamic between savory and fruit flavours which is textbook Shiraz from Clarendon.  Sweet blueberry and rich red fruits interlace with notes of clove and menthol.  The palate is expansive but pure finesses with a beautifully balanced acidity leading to a silky finish.

 

 

Hickinbotham

 

92 Brooks Road

Clarendon, South Australia

 

The first vines at the Hickinbotham Vineyard were planted in 1971 by Alan David Hickinbotham, son of Australia’s first wine science lecturer at the famous Roseworthy Agricultural College, Alan Robb Hickinbotham.  This 186-hectare property of rolling hillsides remained under Hickinbotham family ownership for more than 40 years until it was purchased by the Jackson family in 2012.  The vineyard has been farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices since 2019.

 

The pedigree of the Hickinbotham Vineyard has long been established but, until the change of ownership in 2012, grapes from the 85-hectares of vines were only ever sold to an esteemed list of winemakers.  With wineries including Penfolds, Clarendon Hills and Hardys, grapes were credited to flagship wines like Penfolds Grange and Eileen Hardy Shiraz.  It was only Clarendon Hills that released vineyard-designate wines bearing the “Hickinbotham” name.

 

The first four wines to bear the Hickinbotham Vineyard label were produced from the 2012 vintage: Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cabernet Shiraz blend.  These parcels were selected from the oldest terraced plantings which trace the contours of the undulating, hillside terrain and continue to provide a rich tapestry of qualities from which the wines are crafted each year.

 

The character of the Hickinbotham Vineyard is profound and produces famously resilient wines with highly expressive character.  The breathtaking views from the top of the site down over the vines towards the Onkaparinga Gorge command ancient ground that is the key to the innate power this site produces.  The cooling breezes funnel through from the hills above and the coast below and lend a desirable freshness to the wines.

 

 

Rated 94 Points by Wine Spectator

 

There’s a lovely sense of restraint here, with firm tannins reining in complex, detailed flavors of blueberry pie, kirsch and dark chocolate.  Espresso, clove and caramel notes add even more complexity on the finish, where the flavors continue to unfold. Drink now through 2034.