Hungerford Hill Hilltops Cabernet is an extremely impressive modern style Cabernet that displays all the classic Cabernet characters of blueberry and blackcurrant along with a wonderful lifted palate texture that leaves you with sense of wanting more. The length of flavour is something to behold.

One could be mistaken for thinking Grove Estate was in the heart of Coonawarra with it's vivid red soil. It's in fact nestled in the emerging region of Hilltops in NSW and with the guidance of Canberra guru, Tim Kirk, this great Cabernet shows flavours and aromas of liquorice, blackberry and rich cassis.

Made with 25% whole bunches, the base wine for this vintage was given 20 months in a mix of old and new French oak before tirage bottling in early 2016. It then spent 22 months on lees before being finished in late 2017. It's a bright, rich red-purple in the glass with a generous but fine mousse, featuring aromas of spice, red fruit and dark berries. The palate is full, soft and silky with flavours of blackcurrant, plum and mulberry which are complemented by fine tannins and a long, dry finish. The wine was given a restrained level of dosage, making for a dryer style of Sparkling Shiraz that allows the quality of the base vintage to show through.

Vibrant red purple colour. Dark cherry, violets and blueberry fruits with seductive toasty oak. Medium bodied with fleshy blueberry fruits and vanillin oak. A focused tannin core provides balance and structure to the mid palate.

In the glass: Full deep red. On the nose: Delicate redcurrant, plum, cedar and a light leafy lift. On the palate: Textured with a medium weight core of dark fruit, elegant line and touches of coffee, cherry and savoury oak.

In the glass: Dense red black.On the nose: Black cherry with strong anise hints, black pepper and braised meats.On the palate: Porty-ripe black fruits with hints of jubey sweetness, iodine and liquorice power, velvety tannins and a sweet finish.

The beauty of this wine is in the perfumed lift of spice and violets overlaying the subtle tobacco characters on the palate. Oak maturation has imparted a little extra complexity and structure making the palate supple with fine lingering tannins.

Nick Spencer is a bright star in the Australian wine industry. His energy for making great wine has been recognised with such awards at the Jimmy Watson Trophy, Young Gun of Wine award and his inclusion in the Len Evans Tutorial Scholar program. This shiraz is made without that addition of preservatives or additives and expresses a vibrant, approachable style.

Tempranillo and Graciano grown on the red soils of the Hilltops region near Young, NSW; were vinified seperately before blending and matuaration. The savoury and smooth Tempranillo is complimented by the spicey fruit and structure of Graciano, the resultant wine has greater intensity, depth and length.