Pokolbin Vintners Pokolbin Mountain Light Dry Red 2025

Hunter Shiraz doing things its own way. Intensely fragrant and wonderfully cool-site in character, with lavender, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, earth, mace and liquorice. Then comes the freshness – tangy red fruits, chalky tannins, brilliant natural acidity and a seriously mouth-puckering hit of limestone minerality.

Elegant but far from lightweight, this is all precision, energy and tension. The oak knows its place, adding just enough structure without barging into the conversation. Give it a couple of hours and it gets even more succulent and savoury, with Turkish tobacco emerging from the shadows. Classic Hunter Shiraz, just with the dial turned firmly towards high-toned. Compact, coiled and spring-loaded, it never loses its precision or power.

Sourced from a single vineyard also supplying fruit to Tyrrell’s and Mount Pleasant, these 50-year-old vines have delivered an exquisite medium-bodied Shiraz. Drunken cherries, sour cherries and sarsaparilla kick things off, followed by plums, dark and red cherries, red apple skin and dried herbs. There’s a touch more density than the 2024, with 20% whole bunches adding a little extra grip and savoury detail. Green tea and cocoa-like tannins dry out gently across the palate, while the acidity is a touch more prominent on opening. Give it time in the glass and everything settles beautifully into neat groove. Medium-bodied, finely detailed and wonderfully balanced, this is Shiraz with shape rather than muscle. Super drinking. 94 points – Q Wine Reviews