 | Australia's most addictive velvety red returns ... and the new 2006 vintage is guaranteed to delight more than ever! That's because extreme heat during the vintage "slowed ripening ... and enhanced flavour intensity" (Australian Wine Corporation), which pushed concentration to levels we never thought possible. This is a wine with 'wow'! The Black Stump is handcrafted by John Casella, who practises his 'dark art' behind closed doors at his family's remote estate. The wine owes its name to an Aussie expression meaning 'the back of beyond', but its remote origins has not stopped it from winning medals at prestigious competitions around the world. Its secret is dark, captivatingly smooth Durif, a rare grape ("that takes no prisoners" The Observer), used as a 'turbocharge' to add inky-black fruit to other reds. Here, it's partnered perfectly with another big Aussie red grape, spicy Shiraz. Deep purple hue. Black, brambly Durif given a spicy, blueberry edge by dark chocolate Shiraz and sweet oak. Velvety, voluptuous, and irresistible served in large glasses with char-grilled steak or Sunday roasts. |
