2021 Hugh Hamilton The Rascal Shiraz 12 Pack

95 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

Named after Hugh himself – ‘Rascal’ was his father’s nickname for him – Shiraz and McLaren Vale go together like Lillee and Thommo, Fred and Ginger, Kardashian and celebrity. The team suggest gin and tonic (fine), Bogie and Bacall (absolutely, and if you are too young to remember, some great movies ahead of you) and the Royal Family and corgi dogs – perhaps, but given recent events, perhaps the jury might be out on that one for now. Opaque black hue, this is quintessential warm climate Shiraz – notes of mocha, spices, coffee beans and chocolate. A classic McLaren Vale Shiraz, it is still exhibiting the first bloom of youth and the freshness that goes with it. Layered, plush and seamless, there are ever-so-silky tannins on a very long finish with a fine flicker of acidity that runs the length. While it will drink beautifully for six to ten years, it is already delicious now.

94 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Sweetly ripe and complex, the enticing bouquet shows Black Doris plum, dark cherry, toasted spice and hazelnut aromas, leading to a succulent palate offering plump mouthfeel combined with fleshy texture, finishing long and flavoursome.

92 POINTS

Ned Goodwin - JamesSuckling.com

Opaque with a glossy purple rim. Impressive aromas of tapenade, barbecue, blueberries, cloves and pepper grind. There is an element of reduction imparting tension, yet nothing obtuse. The acidity is a little hard, to be a pedant. Yet the mid-palate is buoyant and pulpy and the finish a free-flow of fruit and commensurate joy.

92 POINTS

Ned Goodwin - Halliday Wine Companion

Opaque with a glossy purple rim. Impressive aromas of tapenade, barbecue, blueberry, clove and pepper grind. There is an element of reduction imparting tension, yet nothing obtuse. The acidity is a little hard, to be a pedant. Yet the mid-palate is buoyant and pulpy and the finish a free-flow of fruit and commensurate joy.

90 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

A packed-full nose of ripe blackcurrant, dark chocolate, coffee bean and spice lead to a full figured palate that delivers on the high octane fruit-and-spice combo but with restrained tannins and appealing succulence.

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

This 2021 The Rascal Shiraz wears the cooler year on its sleeve in the bright, pure, juicy fruit both aromatically and in the mouth. I really like the freshness and buoyancy in this wine, but it is not complex. The tannins are good through the finish—they shape the fruit and help it to linger after the wine has gone.