2018 Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard The Peake Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

James Halliday got this one wrong.

Only 99 Points. He's missed the mark I reckon. Could have, and should have gone one higher, breaking his long-tradition to never score an Australian table wine 100 points.

If there was ever a chance, and an opportunity to do so, it is with the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyards pinnacle release, The Peake.

A classic Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz produced using fruit from one of the McLaren Vale’s most esteemed vineyards. A bottle of wine that so deeply typifies the place and heritage of Australian wine, and the future direction of the industry, that it should be held up, emblazoned in lights, and given space alongside the likes of Runrig, Grange and Hill of Grace.

Seems only fair, doesn’t it? After all, Penfolds used to regularly take fruit from the Clarendon Vineyard for Grange, while Hardy’s did the same too for their flagship Eileen Hardy.

The Peake sees the meeting of minds across great distances. The legendary Californian winemaker Chris Carpenter (Lokoya, Mt Brave & Cardinale) joins forces with Yangarra’s Pete Fraser (an esteemed Halliday Winemaker of the Year and winner of the Wine of the Year last year).

Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard covers a steep cut of country from the ridgetops above the village of Clarendon to the Onkaparinga River in the gorge below. Since its establishment in 1971, the Hickinbotham Vineyard has become a part of Australia’s wine heritage, supplying fruit to produce many of Australia’s most iconic wines.

Every year ‘Carps’ would spend 6 weeks in the McLaren Vale, getting his hands dirty and guiding the wine through its formative stages during vintage. From there, it came time for Pete to take over, and in steer the ship along its course. Zoom sessions between the pair, from the Vale to California, meant Chris was never too far away from his work.

If there was a case-study required to show what 'balance' in wine means, this is it. The 2018 Hickinbotham The Peake brims with life and vitality; the rustic, chocolate pudding spice of the Shiraz, melding with the eucalypt, mint and cassis of the Cabernet. The detail and thought that has gone into this wine, are second to none. Alcohol, acidity, oak and ripeness all sit so neatly in the goldilocks zone.

Tasting this wine, you can almost hear the sound of the Aussie bush rustling in the background (Clarendon is a stone's throw away from the Adelaide Hills). It's got malt, and caramel, sage, redcurrant and plum. It's got oak, but sensibly placed, and there are whisper-thin tannins that just dazzles in the mouth. It's a majestic wine; grandiose only in the sense that it's deftly refined and properly fitted.

Hickinbotham is fast becoming a benchmark Australian winery, and this cross-border, Napa vs McLaren Vale powerhouse is one of its greatest releases to date. 99 Points from James Halliday, well you won't get any argument from us (apart from the fact he should have nudged the score a little higher.)