Hickinbotham "Brooks Road" Shiraz 2018 (McLaren Vale, South Australia) - [JH 98] [WS 95

Hickinbotham "Brooks Road" Shiraz 2018
(McLaren Vale, South Australia) - [JH 98] [WS 95 #49 Top 100 of 2021] [JS 93] [WE 93] [WA 92]


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Notes from the Winemaker:
Made by Chris Carpenter — the winemaker of Cult wines Lokoya, Cardinale, La Jota, Mount Brave and more.
The Brooks Road Shiraz is one of the more characterful Shiraz you will find from McLaren Vale.

With the vineyard located not too far the Adelaide Hills, it has a distinctly savory, black olive character not often found in this region.It's an excellent wine with flavor and structure to boot and is definitely something that can be revisited again and again over a decade or two.
Named for the street on which the vineyard is located, Brooks Road Shiraz exhibits the compelling single site character of the vineyard. 2018 Brooks Road exhibits the compelling dynamic between savory and fruit flavors which is textbook Shiraz from Clarendon. Sweet blueberry and rich red fruits interlace with notes of clove and menthol. The palate is expansive but pure finesses with a beautifully balanced acidity leading to a silky finish.

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - James Halliday Wine Companion:
"From the '71 contour plantings, hand-picked, 50% crushed, 40% destemmed, 10% whole bunch, gentle extraction during 18 days on skins, no pressings used, 6 months on lees, then racked to foudre and puncheons (30% new) for 9 months. This oak use will continue in all releases post '18. Extremely complex and intense, but perfectly balanced red and black fruits, tannins a feature."

95 Points, Rank #49 Top 100 Wines of 2021 - Wine Spectator:
"A rich, succulent mix of dark chocolate, spiced plum, wild blackberry and black licorice notes. Showcases both power and elegance, with chai, cigar box, violets and dried sage notes, velvety and generous, on the long, generous finish. Drink now through 2035. 1,900 cases made, 370 cases imported." – MW (Jun 30, 2021)

93 Points - James Suckling:
"A striking wine for its extreme depth, as well as freshness. Ripe dark plums and blackberries bathe the nose and palate. This is lead in a fuller-bodied direction and makes a very youthful, bold and stoic impression on the palate. Fine now, but better in three to four years. Screw cap." (May 2020)

93 Points  & Cellar Selection - Wine Enthusiast:
"Where the cool 2017 brought increased elegance to Hickinbotham's muscular reds, this vintage returns to the powerful expression of warmer years. A big wine it may be, with a nose of strawberry and cherry preserves, mint, medicinal herbs and a toasty, vanillin underbelly, but it's also precise and site expressive. Tannins are fine yet powerful, and the oak is present, but this is a baby, worthy of many years in the cellar. Drink 2023–2035." - CP (5/1/2021)

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The emphasis at Hickinbotham is on Bordeaux varieties, but the Shiraz is a sleeper—and well priced for the quality. The 2018 Brooks Road Shiraz includes 10% whole clusters and was matured in 30% new French oak. There was one new foudre, while the rest of the wine aged in 300-liter hogsheads. The nose is marked by scents of raspberries and vanilla, with some floral, herbal notes and hints of barrel char. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied and mouthwatering, with a long, silky-textured finish. A completely satisfying drink, it's rich without being at all over the top." - Joe Czerwinski (Feb 2021)