Topdrops

David Metcalf included Sidewood 2014 in a recent masked shiraz tasting, alongside wines from the Grampians, Victoria, and the Barossa Valley, South Australia. The deep, savoury character of the Grampians wine and the more powerful, chocolaty Barossa, contrasted with the buoyant, sweet-berry character of the Adelaide Hills shiraz. The wine's juicy, sweet-fruited palate, and attractive spicy undercurrent, pointed to a cool ripening area. The inclusion of whole berries in the fermentation also contributed to the wine's lovely, pure, fruitiness. It's soft and delicious and will probably never drink better than it does now.