The Jasper Hill Emily's Paddock Shiraz 2023 is a full-bodied, deeply perfumed Heathcote red carrying a small portion of co-planted Cabernet Franc, hand picked in a single day from vines planted in the mid-1970s. Power and lift sit together here, and the Franc gives the Shiraz a leafy, fragrant edge that sets Emily's Paddock apart from most Victorian Shiraz.

Inky in the glass, with aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and plum skin, then white pepper, licorice, dried herbs and a ferrous, iron-rich note that runs through everything Jasper Hill makes. Twelve months in French oak barriques adds a nutty, cedary layer rather than sweetness.

The palate is concentrated and mouth-filling without being heavy, brambly dark fruit pushed along by firm, chalky tannins and bright natural acidity. Twelve to eighteen months in bottle has already knitted things together, though the finish is long, savoury and still tightly wound — a decant does it real favours at this stage.

Serve alongside slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary, dry-aged beef rib, duck with cherries, or a plate of hard sheep's milk cheese and quince paste.

Drink from now with air, or cellar under cork through to 2040 — the tannin and acid structure will carry it comfortably.