2018 Hentley Farm 'The Beast' Shiraz

96 Points - Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
The Beauty and The Beast – Hentley Farm’s two popular shiraz although each with their own unique style. Different vintages work for different wines but for 2018 my money is on The Beast, a name that it matches up to particularly well in this warm vintage. There is nothing subtle here and the wine flirts with just being too big, but then its supreme balance kicks in. It explodes with tarry, licorice and blackberry jam fruit with touches of spice and roasted meats all underpinned by generous new oak. The palate is similarly rich and flavoursome, lashings of ripe dark fruit with muscular tannins providing a particularly long and strong finish. Barossa Valley on steroids.

95 Points - Tyson Stelzer, Halliday Wine Companion (12 Jan 2021)
Matured 22 months in 60% new French oak barrels. One bottle showed overt, sappy cork wood character. True to its name, this is an inky, brooding thing of deep purple hue. Satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit of concentrated impact is underscored by licorice and dark chocolate. Fine, confident tannins and lively acid line frame a strong finish and counter the warmth of alcohol. Impressive. 

95 Points - David Sly, Decanter (Tasted, 5 Nov 2020)
Built for the future, this big-framed beastie is a rather dense block in its youth, suggesting that a different wine will unfold and reveal greater complexity after at least five years in the cellar. Presently, it opens with a high sweet note of juicy blackberry, and then a solid, ripe-fruit belly leads to a basement of tight black tannins. Maturity will reveal its true assets.

93 Points - James Suckling (Tasted 21 August 2020)
Aromas of blueberries and blackcurrants with some violets, orange and fresh, tight-grained oak. This is really rich, bold, quite complex and fleshy. Big, rich plums and blackberries. Spiced pastry. Currants and black cherries. A lot of fruit here. Try from 2023.