HARDY’S | Brave New World | Shiraz | Black Edition | 2016
syrah

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Today we are going to review another single varietal syrah wine, but this time from the famous McLaren Vale region of Fleurieu, Australia – Brave New World Shiraz Black Edition 2016 by Hardy’s Wines. In a world where bigger is better, syrah is the ideal choice, as it is darker, bolder and spicier than cabernet sauvignon and contains a high amounts of health-invigorating antioxidants. Syrah and Shiraz are the two names for the same variety: Syrah represents the old-world style of vinification while Shiraz is the name for the new-world style. Old-world syrah wines tend to have green tannins and more acidity, with earthy-herbaceous aromas, while the new-world shiraz wines are usually fruit-forward with ripe tannins and lots of spicy-smoky flavours. The wine we are reviewing today is a blend between syrah wines aged in seasoned oak (a mixture of old burgundy and american oak barrels) and wines aged in stainless steel. But enough theory! Without further ado, let’s move on – straight to the wine tasting phase!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

Visual
Deep and noble ruby color, with purple-indigo hues towards the rim of the glass.

Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe black fruits and herbaceous flavours: black cherry, dried meat, black plum, iron, blackcurrant, black mulberry, black raspberry, blackberry, horse saddle and some nuanced smoky hints. An instant later the nose is filled with insistent notes of roasted oakwood, leather, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, sweet tobacco and sun dried wood.

Gustatory
The wine is medium-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. It feels fruity, savory and slightly sweet, with an expressive new-world profile. This is a quite smoky, woody and nuanced shiraz wine with a fair overall balance, with primary fruit aromas clearly dominating over the oak-infused flavours.

Aftertaste
The wine has a medium finish and a sweet, woody-tart aftertaste.
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This is definitely a fine wine of Australia and, with a total of 90.6 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Conclusion: overall this is a fine, new-world shiraz wine that is still on the rise, quite close to its prime form – a wine that requires another 2 years of bottle ageing, as in its current state the wine feels too sweet amd a bit off its balance. The wine feels expressive, nuanced and quite expansive – the way many young new-world wines taste, with the flamboyance clearly favoured over the elegance. That said, for the best wine & food experience, we would strongly recommend to pair this wine with spicy or barbequed meaty dishes that are rich in sweet accents, like for example an asian steak with butter and soy sauce or a spicy t-bone steak with black pepper and smoked paprika. Cheers!

WineStatistics tasting results:

HARDY’S
Brave New World | Shiraz | Black Edition | 2016

grape: | syrah |

region: Australia | McLaren Vale

overall rating: | 90.6 |

maturity: on the rise

conclusion: fine | (highly recommended)

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.