Hither & Yon Aglianico 2023 by Hither & Yon, McLaren Vale, is a brooding yet energetic southern‑Italian classic in Aussie guise – dark fruit, spice and firm structure wrapped in a fresh, coastal frame. This Hither & Yon Aglianico 2023 is built for serious food and long, slow evenings.

In the glass, Aglianico 2023 bristles with black cherry, plum and blackberry, over dried violets, tobacco, anise, cocoa and a flick of blood orange peel and earth. It’s firmly medium‑plus bodied and dry, with bright acidity and grippy, Italianate tannins that carry the fruit into a long, savoury, slightly rustic finish that just screams for a plate of something hearty.

Food‑wise, it’s a gun with slow‑cooked lamb shanks, osso buco, rich beef ragù, porchetta and chargrilled meats, as well as mushroom lasagne, baked eggplant and aged pecorino. It’s the kind of Aglianico that shines at winter dinners and Sunday roasts, especially for drinkers who like structure, spice and old‑world charm in a modern McLaren Vale red.