Hickinbotham, The Peake Cabernet/Shiraz, 2021
Hickinbotham, The Peake Cabernet/Shiraz, 2021
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
- Organic
- Biodynamic
Please note, en primeur wines are not available for delivery until they arrive in the UK
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2045
Est. delivery in late Summer 2025
Named after Edward John Peake, one of the pioneers of South Australian viticulture, this flagship wine from Hickinbotham is the definition of precision winemaking on one of McLaren Vale’s most remarkable vineyard sites.
Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, two varieties that thrive in these elevated Clarendon soils, The Peake is deep and powerful, but with the elegance and freshness that cooler climate fruit brings. Polished, poised, and built to age - it's already incredibly expressive in the glass. For Honest Grapes Club Members looking to explore the upper echelons of Australian red, this is as compelling as it gets.
First planted back in 1971, Hickinbotham Vineyard sits high in the hills of Clarendon, at the northern tip of McLaren Vale—a cooler pocket that brings freshness and finesse to the fruit. Originally dry-farmed to Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the site has long been a go-to for some of Australia’s top names, supplying grapes for iconic wines for decades.
In 2012 Hickinbotham began bottling under its own name. Under the guidance of winemakers Christopher Carpenter and Peter Fraser, along with viticulturist Michael Lane, the estate has gone from quiet legend to a benchmark for McLaren Vale elegance.
What the critics say:
"This impressive red offers a polished and powerful mix of violet, black currant, black cherry and spiced plum notes that are juicy and velvety. Details of bittersweet chocolate, rosemary, oregano, espresso and salted toffee add complexity and aromatics. Expressive and generous on the long finish..."
"All crafted from 1971-planted vineyards, the 2021 The Peake is an incredibly unique style of the classic Australian Cabernet Shiraz blend. It is beautifully understated, and aromas tease with smoked meats, blackcurrant and gravel with a faint touch of fresh asphalt. It is beautifully composed with a savory, dark, earth-scented palate underpinned by well-pitched, firm tannins, which all come together over an ethereal and immaculately balanced finish. A ground-breaking modern Australian style that is worth tracking down."
"The 2021 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz is surely one of the most elegant iterations of this idiosyncratically Australian blend. The idea behind the blend is that the Cabernet tannins create shape and line, while the Shiraz fills in the middle palate. The effect, when blended well with great base wines, is one of seamless power and drive across the palate. Here, the wine is leafy and brambly, no doubt owing to the expression of the Cabernet in what was a cooler season, while the usually inky McLaren Vale Shiraz speaks this year of arnica and aniseed, licorice and blueberries. The tannins are fresh and ashy, making for a chewy, pliable sort of finish. The oak is prominent at this stage, although perhaps this will ameliorate in time, given the quality of the fruit. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
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