AGENT PROVOCATEUR GRENACHE FRONTIGNAC SHIRAZ 2020

Appearance: Crimson lipped purple

Nose: Light, bright and beautiful. A slip and slide of succulent blueberry, bubble-gum, rose and raspberry. Subtler notes of orange oil and jasmine

Palate: Textured like shop-crisp corduroy. Holds on in just the right way, closing out with a crunch while your lips are left smacking. Confident, charming and slick

Food Pairing: Tea Smoked Duck with plum sauce, or Mixed mushroom 5-spice steamed buns

About the wine: Elusive and fiercely independent Black Sheep wines that will not be pinned down. The Dark Arts is a range of wines from varieties that are not meant to go together, but work! They refuse to be part of the status quo; they are wine as art. Made off the grid in an unconventional style that is all about varietals in quirky combos.

"Intentional serendipity? We definitely didn’t blend by mistake but were certainly surprised how well it all worked. Four years in and we know what the Agent looks like – if not always what grapes will be needed to create it."

Winemaker: Hugh Hamilton

Winemaker's Notes: "Primary colours are blended to make an array of many other colours. When we lay out the parts of the Agent the strong character of each base wine is like a primary colour – there’s something very special about the various shades of flavour that come to light when we blend these parts."

Country: McLaren Vale, Australia

Grape Variety: 82% Grenache 12% Frontignac 6% Shiraz

ABV: 14.5%