Clarendon Hills Kangarilla Grenache 1998

The bouquet is filled with lifted fruit characters. There are sweet and ripe raspberries and plums. The secondary examination sees some spice and herbal characters. Alongside the cinnamon and allspice is some aniseed like tarragon. This gives the wine an extra dimension, beyond a simple fruit driven number to a full expansive wine with complexity.

On the palate, the wine the fruit is very sweet, with almost a confectionery character. The spicy overtones really come to the fore as the sweetness of the fruit seems to highlight the secondary flavors. Texturally, the wine is quite dense and has great richness and body. The finish sees a medium acid level supported by plenty of firm tannins.

This wine is drinking superbly as a young and fresh wine. It is built with ample structure, however, and will age well in the short to medium term. It will be wonderfully balanced at 4-6 years, and will still develop in the bottle for several years after that, however if you don't drink the wine in the next 3-4 years you will miss all the fresh fruit that makes the wine so attractive right now.

With the combination of fruit sweetness, spicy and herbal overtones this wine is quite versatile in matching with food. A variety of different meats can be used in conjunction with the wine. Specifically those with gamy flavors such as Venison or Hare would be superb. The type of dish should include plenty of spice and herbs. The fragrance of the dish will be matched by the fragrance of the wine.