Dense and muscular on opening, the Frank Ernest is the flagship of the Three Dark Horses label, a tribute to their grandfather.
Wild yeast fermented with 20% whole bunches, it sees French oak (50% new) for 20 months.
Dark chocolate, stewed berries, blackberries and plums are the main players delivered with a generous yet measured intensity. A Shiraz with comforting appeal, the use of whole bunches has certainly added some oomph. Dark chocolate sits at the core and cloves rise up late with an array of woodsy spices and five-spice scattered about. Sleeves of sandy tannins reach out on a long finish and dry out ever so slowly. It's a wine that showed better with some time in the glass over a couple of days of tasting. Be sure to decant to have it singing and soften those edges. Age will not weary it, that's for sure.
Drink to ten years+
93/100
Region: McLaren ValeSource: Sample
Posts
