Leconfield McLaren Vale Shiraz 2019
Leconfield wines (and the Hamilton family, of which they are part) have a history almost as long as that of wine in South Australia itself – dating back to 1838, although Leconfield itself, which is in the Coonawarra, was actually established in the 1970s and was reunited with the main branch of the family recently. In a confusing twist, this shiraz, from McLaren Vale (yes, not Coonawarra), hails from the Hamilton family’s own Farm Block and is a dark-fruited, chewy and spicy wine. A real mouthful of robust decadence, it bursts forth with Christmas cake and vanilla flavours from some American oak influence (as well as French). One of the most full-bodied of the line-up, it really calls for slow-cooked or grilled red meat to stand up to its concentrated flavours. (F)