Opaque core leading into a deep purple rim. Blackberry, tobacco leaf, graphite and violets leap from the glass. Wonderful density of black and blue fruits creates a base upon which layers of savoury complexity are built. Graphite and tobacco leaf sit at the fore, then notes of cedar and anise shine through. Wrapped in firm but well integrated tannins that provide ample tension and drive, ensuring a long finish that is focused and precise. Many years ahead of this wine.

This is a particularly good example of why cabernet and shiraz go so well together. Apart from structure and flesh, the combination of dark and red berry flavours, fruit sweetness and leafy herb notes, are just so complementary. This wine is the perfect exhibit: the fruit is fresh and flavoursome at once, not to mention of noteworthy purity. There’s cedarwood oak here too, but its integration is entire, and it has latched on to nuances of tobacco. Yalumba’s Signature pretty much never misses, and this release certainly hasn’t. Fruit, tannin, length and all-round harmony; all are in top nick.