So with the lingering taste of the sublime Vat 1 Semillon still dancing on our tongues, we set off on an entirely less certain challenge. It’s no secret that Justin is a devout Barossa boy. When it comes to Shiraz, I struggle to sway him towards McLaren Vale offerings. So when the challenge was set to find him a Hunter Shiraz that he didn’t think smelled like the fungus that grows around the bottom of a bachelor’s toilet, I for one, was not entirely confident. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a fan of Hunter Shiraz for many years. I’ve always thought of them as a kind of Burgundian style of Shiraz, and I felt weirdly validated to learn that they actually used to be called Hunter River Burgundies (as we saw on some of the Tyrrell’s Shiraz labels from the 60s & 70s). But every time I’ve pulled one off the rack to try to convert Justin, it’s failed to perform. So we called up 2008 Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year and legendary no-bullshitter Andrew Thomas, of Thomas Wines, and threw down the gauntlet. “Find us some Hunter Shiraz that will win this Barossa boy’s palate!”