Chris Ringland

Hoffmann Vineyard Barossa Shiraz 2015

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  Vintage 2015
  98 points

If you are a connoisseur of Barossa Valley single sites, the gnarled vines of Adrian Hoffmann's Ebenezer block need no introduction. The fruit quality is superb, and this particular wine sees a whopping 68 months in new French oak. Everything is ratcheted up to 11. Fruit weight, oak influence and sheer horsepower all peaking the meters in an über-intense wine. Crème de cassis and kirsch notes, tamari, seaweed paste, Dutch licorice, high-cocoa dark chocolate, clove, cedar, pencil shavings and deep, broody earth. It's a beast with thickly packed, fine tannin and leather and mahogany tones flowing in on the finish. Give it a good decant and try it over a couple of days; it's quite an experience.

• 

  Vintage 2015
  96 points

This 2015 Shiraz Hoffmann Vineyard comes from one of the most famous pieces of dirt in the Barossa. It offers confident and robust aromas of blackberry, mulberry, tar, roasted meats and soy sauce with a powerful oak backbone, all dusted with Middle Eastern spices. It is a beautifully evocative wine of the region and far from shy at 16% alcohol. The palate is liquid silk - a tarry woodfired mahogany experience showing a little development yet retaining overall youthful vibrancy. Tannins are pliant yet generous, so the wine is ready to enjoy now and will remain there for some time.