SHAY’S FLAT CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Joshua Cooper is a producer whose wines I buy in my spare time and drink when I'm not working. The wines are detailed and interesting, and that's something I really value, along with distinction, specificity, place and identity. So, the 2021 Shay's Flat Cabernet Sauvignon leads with a leafy, cassis-riddled nose, which is brambly and spiced, with lotus leaf/humidor (to quote a friend), star anise, mountain herbs, coal dust, salted licorice, ash/embers and blackberries. In the mouth, the tannins are svelte and streamlined—they shape the fruit but it's an invisible caress—and their finesse is like finely milled powder. While tasting, the rockiness of the place evokes earth and minerals in the mind. The cool part about this wine is its austerity of line and structure: it packs flavor and complexity and freshness into a fine-boned package. It's awesome. Thrilling, actually. Drinking range: 2022 - 2037 Rating: 95+ Erin Larkin, www.RobertParker.com (Nov 2022)

This has aromas of mulberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, licorice and sweet basil. Wonderfully fresh and crunchy, with fine-grained tannins and swathes of bright red berry fruit. Drink or hold. Drinking range: 2022 - Rating: 93 Nick Stock, www.jamessuckling.com (Oct 2022)

Viticulture: Certified Biodynamic

The Shay’s Flat Vineyard is situated on an elevated and picturesque ridge in the heart of the Pyrenees. A distinctively Australian setting with the vineyard surrounded by wheat paddocks, native bushland and scrub. The 20+ year old vines are rooted deep into mineral rich shale, quartz and mudstone soils, growing powerful, yet detailed fruit. It is the second to ripen of the three Cabernet Sauvignon sites.

I have a distinct soft spot for the Cabernet wines produced in the 70’s and 80’s by the pioneering wineries of Central and Western Victoria, many of which seem ageless even now. Once hand harvested the fruit was entirely destemmed, then partially foot crushed before transfer to open fermenters where it remained for three weeks. The must was allowed to soak until natural fermentation commenced and was then extracted with a combination pumping over, delestage and pigeage before basket pressing.

Elevage took place in a combination of new Stockinger 300l (30%) and seasoned thin staved Bordeaux coopered barriques for 12 months, before four months in stainless steal after assemblage. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur.

Deep, dark purple. Reticent on opening, aeration shows intense sour cherry and cassis, mulberry, lavender and black olive with a sweet mint top note and alluring graphite complexity. A compact and palate opens with time to reveal deep dark berry and cherry fruit, before a rumble of fine layered tannin and cleansing acidity with a persistent trial of graphite, dark cocoa and Dutch liquorice.

Please decant well prior to drinking, while cellaring will reveal more nuance and complexity.