Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Shiraz 2012

Dom Torzi has done it again.

The 10th release of Frost Dodger Shiraz – and perhaps the best yet – this is one stylish, flashy modern Shiraz.

As usual the detail is important to this wine’s success, the grapes produced from a vineyard at Mt McKenzie on the border between of the Eden Valley/Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. The fruit is placed into open top tanks and fermented wild with 30% whole bunches before being hand plunged, basket pressed and then matured for 16 months in barriques and finally bottled unfiltered.

As is the norm with Frost Dodger a portion of the fruit was air-dried on racks appassimento style, concentrating the flavours and ratcheting up the richness and warmth.

It smells fantastic too, all Inky blackberry fruit. Bucket loads of blackberry really, the intensity off the scale thanks to the dried fruit inclusion. Spectacularly luscious palate wavers between blue and black fruit lusciousness with some syrupy richness and creamy oak, though without any hint of oxidation of heaviness that can be seen in Amarone style. Ultra silky and full with layers of unctuousness, capped off with just enough stem tannins to finish everything off.

The key to this wine’s glory is the texture – it’s impressively mouthfilling and creamy, yet retains freshness and tannins, the oak and alcohol bit players. That richness may prove overwhelming for some, but anyone who can drink tawny port or Rutherglen muscat will appreciate the viscosity.

Stunning decadence and flavour making for a superb wine.

Drink: 2014-2020
Score: 18.7/20, 95/100
Would I buy it? Yes.