I come from a big family and second in line with a brother almost two years my senior. Growing up, I would often hear the words, “you can’t half tell you two are brothers” but it was generally about our appearance and many mannerisms we displayed. But, that was pretty much where the similarities ended. We had different (some would say obviously different) personalities that set us apart. On that note, personalities can be shaped by family traits, external influences and/or lived experiences.

The same can be said about wine. These two (pre-release) bottles of Reserve Shiraz were ‘born’ of the same winemaker, using 100% Huntington Estate fruit and are only two years apart in age. However, they present with different and likeable personalities. What is also well known is, wine can change over time but having read the notes about the vinification of these wines, they were always going to turn out to be individual souls in their own right.

(Photo is of the 2018 due to these two wines being pre-release and a photo is not available at this time)

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $54 each    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Huntington Estate

2019 Special Reserve Shiraz

At six years of age, I was surprised by the primary-ness it showed. Dense and bold, dark cherries and plums show the way with a nice creamy dark chocolate feel across the palate. A hint of spiciness is in the mix too while finishing a little dry due to the tannins but, that just tells me this will age very nicely. The notes provided indicated this wine sat in well-seasoned French and American oak for 18 months and it shows, but is supported by, and complements, the healthy fruit profile.

2021 Special Reserve Shiraz

I really liked the lively aromas this wine sent from the glass. Like freshly picked black and red berries with just a hint of oak. Juicy black fruits, dark cherry and plum notes are the highlights of the abundant fruit flavours. Dark chocolate appears in this wine also as do some nice spice characters too. The oak and tannins sit neatly amongst all of this as it finishes lovingly long. A totally different personality to the 2019, this one seemed to have a little more ‘shine’ to it (I’m not sure how else to describe it).