Hugh Hamilton The Rascal Shiraz 2024 from McLaren Vale is a big‑hearted, black‑fruited shiraz that still carries plenty of polish – exactly the famous pairing of variety and region you’d expect, with depth, flavour and structure in spades. It’s a new‑vintage release built from three carefully tended estate vineyards, made to celebrate time and place as much as pure power.

In the glass, The Rascal 2024 is dense and inky, with aromas of blackberry, black plum and currant layered over licorice, molasses, black tea leaves and earthy spice. On the palate it’s plush and mouth‑filling, black‑fruited and brooding up front before those blacks yield to deep red fruits, vanilla, pepper and savoury spice through the mid‑palate. Tannins are rich but velvety, acidity is in check, and the finish is long, warming and complex rather than just sweet and simple.winegraph.

This Rascal Shiraz is screaming for anything off the grill – ribeye, lamb chops, BBQ brisket or sausages – and it’s superb with slow‑cooked beef, hearty stews and aged cheddar where its plush fruit and savoury depth can really shine. It’s a sophisticated South Aussie shiraz that ticks all the boxes for fans of big, luxurious reds without losing balance.