Littles Wines Hunter Valley Shiraz 2011

Little’s Wines is a family-run estate in the Broke Fordwich subregion of the Hunter Valley, founded by the Little family in the early 2000s. They farm a handful of small vineyard parcels on free-draining sandy loams over clay, practising minimal intervention viticulture and focusing on low yields to capture the site’s nuanced expression of Shiraz.

The 2011 Shiraz is drawn from vines planted in the mid-1990s on north-facing slopes, hand-harvested at just the right moment of ripeness. Fermentation took place in small open-top fermenters with gentle daily plunging to extract fine tannin and lift aromatics, then the wine was pressed directly to seasoned French and American oak hogsheads for 12 months’ maturation, allowing the fruit’s brightness to marry with subtle spice and texture.

In the glass, the 2011 Hunter Valley Shiraz shows a deep garnet core with pale garnet edges. The nose is lifted and savoury, with ripe plum, cracked pepper and dried sage, interwoven with hints of leather and tobacco. On the palate it is medium-bodied and finely structured, revealing flavours of blackberry compote, mocha and a touch of Earl Grey tea. Silky, integrated tannins and fresh acidity carry through to a long, savoury finish. This elegant Shiraz is drinking beautifully now and pairs superbly with chargrilled rib-eye, slow-braised lamb shanks or a mushroom and lentil ragù.