Best’s Great Western Sparkling Shiraz 2013

I remain perplexed that more Australian Shiraz lovers don’t appreciate the sparkling form. What isn’t there to like? It’s red wine, but for Australian weather. Goes a treat with chilli-laden mod-Asian food too. More, please.

Best’s do it well too. There’s that plump, essence-of-purple-plum fruit from the first whiff, complemented by licorice, some frothy, dosage sweetness to fill out the palate, before a convincingly serious finish. Purple is the best descriptor here, even if it doesn’t make much sense as a flavour. What I like, however, is the contrast between lavish generosity and then tannins. Wears its Grampians Shiraz colours well AND will only improve in the bottle (if the old Seppelt Show Sparkling releases are anything to go by) as the primary fruit becomes a little more secondary. Delicious regardless.

Best drinking: 2018-2030. 18/20, 93/100. 14%, $30ish. Would I buy it? Sure would. I’d prefer to drink it in a year or two time when it settles.