Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz 2021

The Peake. The big dog of the impressive Hickinbotham range. It’s so far from ready that it’s a waste to open now – like opening a young right bank Bordeaux and expecting it to be an easy drink. But hey, your patience will be rewarded if you can wait.

As ever, this Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz 2021 comes from the super impressive, contour-planted Hickinbotham vineyard at Clarendon in the higher bits of McLaren Vale. As an aside, I think the new minimalist packaging is less interesting than it used to be. Thoughts? Anyway, Chris Carpenter makes this Cab Shiraz in a Napa mode too, and boy, is it luscious. Decadent and oak forward, with this chunky flavour that feels minty and deep and rich. It’s a bit minty, a bit obvious but long in its chocolate and choc mint pomp, with that agelessness, oak-fortified mode that reminds me of Wynns John Riddoch in its bold prime. It’s not for drinking now, though, as the oak tannin streak through the finish shows. Indeed the score is a bit of a placeholder – the quality is there, but not for drinking now.

Best drinking: When? Opening it this decade might be a waste. Five more years will be a good start. 18.5/20, 94/100. 14.5%, $200. Hickinbotham vineyard website. Would I buy it? Not yet.