2018 Two Hands Dave's Block Shiraz, McLaren Vale

The 2018 Shiraz Dave's Block Blythmans Road Blewitt Springs boasts a slightly hard-edged, crystalline character to its cherry fruit. French oak adds hints of caramel softness, but this young wine is still angular on its medium-bodied palate. Concentrated, dark, intense and long on the finish, it looks to have the ability to age, but I don't think it will ever provide the same pleasure as the 2016.

Lovers of balanced Barossa Shiraz should beeline for the 2018 single-vineyard offerings from Two Hands, which speak to their origins and the high-quality orientation of this producer.

94 points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

Dave’s Block comes from Blythmans Road in Blewitt Springs, one of the coolest and most distinctive corners of McLaren Vale. The elevated, undulating country here has become particularly prized for wines that favour perfume and freshness over sheer size. By 2018 the region was enjoying a superb growing season, giving Shiraz the opportunity to develop generous flavour while retaining excellent structure.

Blewitt Springs is known for its deep sandy soils, often sitting over clay and ancient geology, while cooling breezes from the Gulf help moderate the warm South Australian days. Dave’s Block captures the darker side of Shiraz without wandering into heavyweight territory. Seven years of bottle age has also started to soften the wine and draw out more savoury characters behind the fruit.

Deep garnet crimson, with blackberry, dark cherry and plum joined by violet and cracked black pepper. Liquorice, rosemary and black olive follow, while time in bottle has introduced tobacco, leather, cocoa and a little smoked meat. The palate is generous but nicely composed, with dark fruit flowing through fine, settled tannins and fresh acidity. Black cherry, pepper, olive and earthy spice linger through a long, savoury finish.

Charcoal grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary and anchovy will handle this beautifully, as will Korean galbi, slow cooked beef cheek, smoky eggplant with miso or mushrooms grilled with garlic and thyme. Our pick is the galbi, its sweet, smoky char playing straight into the mature Shiraz fruit and savoury spice.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2033.