Whenever I open a Yangarra red, I feel like I should send winemaker Pete Fraser a thumbs-up emoji, as the detail and interest factor on the Yangarra wines is on another level. Even the wine tech notes that come with the bottle are high quality. The King’s Wood (not Kingswood), is named after the royal oaks of the King’s Wood, which monarchs planted to build cathedrals and church naves. The name is a nod here to the large oak foudres used to mature the ‘spiciest’ Shiraz from Yangarra’s south-facing Block 12. Matured for 20 days on skins and then 18 months in oak. Chemistry, for those who care: TA 6.2g/L pH 3.47.
It smells lovely. There’s this choc hazelnut generosity here that you’d at first think was an oak character, but it’s more than that – it’s a textural roundness, which is quite a contrast to the tangy, indeed spicy Shiraz character underneath. It’s still a plush, purple wine but more Blewitt Springs moody red than a plump and fleshy thing from the warm southern end of the Vale, if you like. And I like it a lot, even if its probably not as obviously seductive as some vintages. High-quality stuff. 18+
- Best drinking: now, but probably even better in 3-5 years
- Score (out of 20): 18.5
- Score (out of 100): 94
- Alcohol %: 14
- RRP (in $AUD): 70
- Winery website: https://www.yangarra.com/
- Would I buy it?: sure would
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