I can’t remember the last Taylors Cabernet Shiraz that I tried, but it was a long time ago. On the showing of this Taylors Masterstroke Cabernet Shiraz 2016, it shouldn’t be the last.

A blend of 65% Cab % 35% Shiraz, all from the Clare Valley this proudly power-packed red was matured in 70% French and 30% American oak for 22 months. Oh yeah, that’s ‘the big end of Flavourtown’ wine territory.

I’m not wildly convinced by the packaging, nor the swag of hard-to-read wine show medals on it. If you’ve got it, flaunt it (but make sure we can read the things). You can see why the style would pick up a bag of bling too, the wine throwing up a wall of mint, dark berry fruit, coffee oak, then thick cut tannins – it’s inelegant and proudly so.

But that’s not to say that inelegance should mean bad. There’s so much satisfaction in this sort of chest-beating, mouthfilling Clare Valley style, and I had to have a second look to confirm it is 2016 and not 2019, just to remind of the age-worthiness.

Lots of chocolate oak, lots of tannins, but the fruit to match, this will be very popular and is an easy recommendation for anyone with a hankering for a Clare red you can chew on.

Taylors Masterstroke Cabernet Shiraz 2016. Best drinking: now to twenty years easy. 18.5/20, 94/100. 14%, $60. Would I buy it? Worth a bottle to stick in the cellar and forget about, then bring it out for your big-red-loving mate on his milestone birthday.