Hazel's Vineyard BDX 2022 is McHenry Hohnen's Bordeaux-style red blend from Margaret River, grown on the estate's biodynamically farmed Hazel's Vineyard and named simply for the Bordeaux varieties that make it up. It sits toward the more serious end of the McHenry Hohnen range, built for structure as much as immediate fruit, and shows the savoury, cedary character the region's best reds are known for.

Blackcurrant, dark plum and a cedary, savoury edge typical of Margaret River's Cabernet-based blends lead the nose, with dried herb, graphite and a touch of dark chocolate underneath. The palate is layered, dark-fruited and savoury, with the varieties knitting together rather than any one dominating, and a firm core running through the middle.

Firm, fine-grained tannin and good acid give this real backbone, running through to a long, dry finish that lingers on graphite and dark fruit.

It calls for something substantial: braised lamb shoulder, a mature hard cheese, or a simple roast beef with all the trimmings.

This is built to age — it will reward five or more years in the cellar as the tannins soften and the fruit turns more savoury.