Woah! If fistfuls of oak are your thing, this is your weapon. Of the three Rusty Mutt Vermilion Bird Shiraz wines tasted in a mini vertical, this 2018 was bludgeoning compared to its 2015 and 2016 siblings.
Cedar and sandalwood steal the limelight with black fruits and licorice doing their best to arrest back some control. Whispers of caramel and dark chocolate play secondary roles but they are suffocated in their effort to step forward. Handfuls of exotic spices run long on a sustained finish. Perhaps some more bottle age will help it calm down?
Drink to ten years+
93/100
Region: McLaren Vale