The Ox Hardy Upper Tintara Shiraz is a medium-to-full-bodied, elegant, and deeply authentic red wine from the high-altitude, sandy slopes of Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Crafted by Andrew "Ox" Hardy, this release is sourced from the family's iconic estate blocks, combining rich heritage with a modern focus on fruit purity, freshness, and structural poise.
- Aromas: The nose is highly fragrant and lifted, showcasing black forest fruits, damson plum, and wild blueberry, intricately layered with notes of star anise, dried rosemary, fennel, and an earthy touch of mocha.
- Palate: The palate is plush and intense yet deceptively medium-weighted, offering pure flavours of blackberry and cherry juice balanced by a vibrant backbone of acidity and incredibly smooth, seamless, chalky tannins that lead to a savoury finish.
- Style: This is an elegant and contemporary expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz that deliberately balances fruit concentration with an engaging lightness, steering clear of over-extracted, heavy profiles to focus on a true sense of place.
- Winemaking: The fruit is destemmed and fermented in traditional open vats with gentle extraction techniques before spending 15 to 18 months maturing in a selection of French oak hogsheads and barriques to build texture.
- Cellaring: It is beautifully approachable and rewarding to drink right now for its bright fruit character, but it has the exceptional balance and structural integrity to age gracefully over the next 6 to 12 years.
- Food Pairing: An outstanding partner for rich, savoury dishes, matching perfectly with slow-roasted lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary, wood-fired beef brisket
An exceptionally well-made, class-act Shiraz that shows exactly why Blewitt Springs is such a legendary sub-region. It delivers all that dark, concentrated plum and berry flavor you want from a premium McLaren Vale red, but it stays remarkably nimble, fresh, and easy to drink on the palate. It is a fantastic bottle to open for a weekend dinner or a backyard barbecue when you want a top-tier Shiraz that completely satisfies without feeling heavy.