2010 SWEETWATER SHIRAZ - QUINTESSENTIALLY HUNTER VALLEY

Former Tyrell’s chief red winemaker Andrew Thomas has built up a strong following for his outstanding portfolio of distinctive single vineyard Semillons and Shiraz. Many consider the Sweetwater Shiraz to be the standout Shiraz in terms of quality and value. The 2009 vintage is a superb example of Hunter Valley Shiraz, combining elegance and finesse, with a multi-layered palate and a panoply of flavours. Notwithstanding its immediate attractiveness, it possesses considerable underlying structure, guaranteeing a long future.

The 2010 follows in similar vein, just medium in body and elegantly composed. However, at this point in time, the tannins are somewhat more marked and assertive. There is excellent depth of fruit, but the wine doesn’t quite reveal the same complexity as the 2009, at least at this point in its evolution.

The 2010 Sweetwater Shiraz is a wine that will demand patience to allowr the tannins to resolve somewhat. While it might not be quite in the league of the brilliant 2009, it is a high quality and affordable example of Hunter Valley Shiraz.

2010 SWEETWATER SHIRAZ 
Producer: Andrew Thomas
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2010
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $34.99
Date tasted: 28 September 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby, but transparent at the core. Bright nose of boysenberry, damson, licorice and star anise. Medium bodied, quite glossy in texture, touch simpler on the palate than the nose with summer berry fruit to the fore. Tannins are chalky and quite assertive, becoming increasingly so over the course of the bottle.
Score: 16.5+/20