Riggs & Wiggs 'Cote OVP' Shiraz 2024

Alfred Wilkinson arrived in Sydney in 1865 with his family to establish vineyards in the foothills of the Brokenback Range. They planted the Cote Vineyard in 1866.

Shiraz is the iconic red grape of the Hunter Valley. The Shiraz on the Cote Vineyard is planted on a north-facing slope and dry-grown. Made in original open concrete fermenters, hand plunged and co-fermented with 5% Semillon. Medium colour with young purple tints, red berry fruit, and background cashew oak with only 11% new oak.

Hunter Valley, NSW

This is one of the stars of this new range. Purple plum, mid weight yet with beautiful density and intensity. Spiced cherry, some classic brown earthy and savoury spice - t's reeks of it's origins in the Hunter Valley. Love it. Goes on and on. Reminds me of the greay old Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy. Mike Bennie's note below is pretty perfect. I am putting some of this away. Late in the day and after the duck breast, we enjoyed a Graveyard 2000. Beautiful - this Cote with 20 ears cellaring will not be far behind. Ian Cook - FWC

Classic lines. Medium bodied, slinky and fine, oak is a gentle dusting of clove and cinnamon, the fruit all red berried with sploshes of mulberry and boysenberry. White pepper chimes in, some bay leaf and light, ferrous sweet-game characters. It’s beautiful in perfume, so evocative and sweet, in a sense, the palate more savoury and cinched in a wrap of ultra fine, gossamer, silt-draped tannin. It feels cool and ripe at once. Excellent length and persistence too. Class act.

Mike Bennie - Wine Front 96 points