Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Vineyard Syrah 1998

In appearance this wine is very deep purple with blood red tinges. It is impossible to see any distance into the liquid. Plenty of varied aromas greet the nose with a welter of herbal notes including tarragon, thyme and celery, with almost a bouquet garni quality. Rather than fresh green herbs this is more concentrated like super flavorsome dried herbs. Underneath, the fruit is there with a sweet cherry like flavor. Tasting the wine you get the full impact of the depth of fruit. It is not a fleshy, juicy wine but more of an earthy, spicy and herbal mixture. At the back of the palate there is a lingering finish with some firm and drying tannins. The acid level is noticeable but not dominant and this means that you can taste the flavor in the wine longer. With all the lovely fragrances present right now the wine is there to be enjoyed. However, the tannins will preserve this lovely herbal like fruit comfortably for 10 years or so.

Looking for food matches…….. marinate some veal chops with some tarragon, grill them and serve with a béarnaise sauce. This should perfectly compliment the tarragon like flavor in the wine.