2016 Castelli Estate Il Liris Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec, Great Southern

As with the previous vintages of Il Liris, the aim when selecting barrels for the final wine was to look for those providing the best balance of structure and fruit weight, with structure being the foremost criterion. The purity of Cabernet fruit expression shines through and is at the forefront aromatically. The Shiraz brings richness, spiciness and mid-palate plushness, with its softer tannins playing a support role to the layered Cabernet backbone. The Malbec provides a structural, earthy element to the wine that supports the fruit sweetness and aromatics. It is a wine that provides a myriad of complexity with each mouthful where every return to the glass provides something new. This powerfully structured, well balanced wine is designed to age well over the next 10-15 years.

Cabernet sauvignon (57%), shiraz (35%), malbec (8%). A mouth-filling red but a well composed one. There's not a hair out of place here. Plum, blackcurrant, vanilla, black olive & mint flavours all make contributions. Tannin folds firmly through the fruit from the mid-palate onwards. It won't go anywhere in a hurry; it has the horizon in its sights.