Hickinbotham Mr Grant Malbec 2021

Mr Anderson… Mr Grant is a McLaren Vale Malbec, which isn’t a thing you see much of. Indeed this is the first release of a varietal Hickinbotham Malbec. A debut! Can’t imagine there is a heap of Malbec planted in the Vale, for that matter (where 56% of the plantings are Shiraz and just five grapes make up 87% of the total vineyard area).

Anyway, this is luscious and bold with less of the high-altitude Mendoza Malbec high tone and more purple throaty flavour. Bright purple fruit is the game here. It’s a lovely, open, generous and expressive thing with this flood of purple berries. The oak is still a bit grainy and chunky but this has such impact – it really floods your mouth with flavour. I really enjoyed this, held back only by the oak punch.

Best drinking: now to ten years plus. A year or two in the cellar will help the oak integration too. 18/20, 93/100. 14%, $90. Hickinbotham website. Would I buy it? Worth sharing a bottle.