Hugh Hamilton The Rascal Shiraz 2017

Five generations of Hamilton winemakers and then there is Hugh. Every family has a black sheep and Hugh is it. Hugh does things his own way and is responsible for all the unusual grape varieties we have in the ground. He is also responsible for a lot of the nonsense that goes on around here and his sense of the ridiculous is known to go into full swing after dark whilst consuming generous amounts of his own product. The one thing that Hugh is serious about is what goes into the bottle and the fact that you are only as good as your last vintage, irrespective of how many years you have under your belt.

Hugh is the fifth generation of the family that planted the first vineyards at Glenelg in 1837, less than one year after European settlement in South Australia. As with all families one is a black sheep and Hugh Hamilton is it. You can expect therefore to enjoy the difference. The black sheep is the master of a most reprobate flock, with characters such as 'The Rascal' Shiraz, 'The Scallywag' Unwooded Chardonnay and 'The Villain' Cabernet Sauvignon – this is no ordinary line up. The wines are not ordinary either. There is a fascinating range of very individualistic wines that have great character. Have a look at the range in the "Flock of Wines" section of this web site. Hugh has a clear vision about the way he sees wines and he produces accordingly. He is a firm believer in the wine and food experience. Neither is magic. Both are great, especially in the company of good friends and lively conversation. His wines therefore are eminently drinkable and certainly very "more-ish"; (that means you'll always come back for the next glass!). These wines are not simple. They have such character and depth of flavour they can become a topic of dinner party conversation on their own.