95 Points - Joe Czerwinski (erobertparker.com)
Sourced from Clare Valley, the 2016 Shiraz Heartbreak Hill Roach Road Hut is a terrific wine, not out of place at all among the Barossans in the Two Hands line-up. Loaded with raspberry fruit and dried spices, it’s full-bodied, supple and long, with fine-grained, silky tannins that caress the palate. Remarkable, given the vines are only 12-13 years old.
Heartbreak Hill comes from a vineyard off the beaten track in tough growing country, high up in the north eastern corner of the Clare Valley region. Early ripening despite its elevation, this wine displays the elegance and lively aromatics of Clare Valley, with a powerful accent and mineral tannins. At the top of this steep hill, stands a proud Australian flag raised on the flagpole, which adorns the Heartbreak Hill label. Michael knew this site offered something very special from the moment he was first shown the vineyard and needed to secure this fruit. Grower and friend Richard Hughes didn’t make it easy for him though, with negotiations going back and forth over a few years, hence its namesake.
