In 1850, at the age of 20, Thomas Hardy came to the new colony of South Australia from Devon, England. He established a winery on the banks of Adelaide's River Torrens in 1853. His Bankside winery was the start of an outstanding family wine business that grew to become one of the world's great wine companies. Thomas Hardy was a self-made man, a pioneer of immense character. With a mixture of energy, determination, shrewd judgment, innovation and a touch of daring, he pursued the highest standards in winemaking. At Bankside, and later at his McLaren Vale property Tintara, he focused on quality and craftsmanship. (courtesy of the Hardy’s homepage).One of the surprising things about this wine is its softness. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s a rather pleasant surprise for this grape variety. Cab Sauvs are usually big and bold. ‘Argh! Look at me, I’m a big red wine!’ But the subtleties of this wine cause me to consider that the black and white labelling suggests this is more genteel.
On the nose there are some complex characteristics. ‘Complex’, of course, usually means that there is so much going on it’s hard to tell exactly what’s there. There are the fruits and the black currents common to Cab Sauvs as well as a hint of chocolate. However the real pleasure begins on the tongue. The tannins are pretty soft with a smooth finish which lingers all afternoon. The complex nose carries over to the flavours, but doesn’t detract from the overall pleasantness of this wine.
A great wine to be served with red meats over dinner.
