I was going to open this alongside the Premium release of the same vintage and then thought ’stuff it’ I’ll rate them on their own merits this time. I have tasted them together a couple of times already anyway. I had this bottle open for a day and the wine hardly moved so I would suggest slinging it into a decanter if you are drinking it young. I reckon this vintage should make quite a few people pop up like Meerkats and really take notice of Hillcrest. Great wines across the board.

Red and black cherries, plums, undergrowth and briar, toffee, spicy toasty oak and a little sap. Plenty going on here. On the palate medium bodied with intense cherry fruit, spice, undergrowth and a gentle sappy character. It has fine grained dry tannins and vibrant clean acidity that pulls through the length of the palate. Long tangy spicy finish. Superb.

Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : Apr07
Alcohol : 13.4%
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009 - 2015