A wandering winemaking Kiwi lass, who now calls the Adelaide Hills home, Charlotte Hardy has penned a lovely little thought on her website that I thought I should share here:

“I think wine can be felt. I get so much joy making the Charlotte Dalton wines that surely, you will feel joy when you drink them. I firmly believe that a wine must be made with a happy heart and a content soul. And that is, simply, why I make the Charlotte Dalton Wines; to bring me joy, happiness and contentedness and to share and hopefully pass those feelings on to you through the wines.”

Vibrant red/purple in the glass with a drop dead sexy nose of concentrated plummy fruits along with splashes of wild cherry and mulberry. There is a distinct floral edge to the aromas, jasmine and frangipani notes waft from the glass along with hints of Asian spice, olive tapenade, licorice and earthen notes.

In the mouth, it shows impressive depth of fruit while retaining a sense of space and clarity of flavour. Once more, rich, ripe plum and summer berry fruits lead the way along with hints of Chinese spice shop, roasting meats, jasmine, forest floor, black olives, gentle oak and an alluring musky edge to its flavours as the wine trails off into the distance. A seam of lively acidity propels the wine along and there are ample sleek, ripe tannins for structure.

Pitch perfect cool-climate Shiraz.

CHARLOTTE DALTON 2015 Beyond the Horizon Adelaide Hills Shiraz

charlottedaltonwines.com