AUSTRALIA. St Hugo has released a limited-edition wine collection from the DR3 x St Hugo series featuring its third collaboration with Formula 1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo. The collection from the Pernod Ricard-owned winery is being released into travel retail.
Ricciardo worked with Chief Winemaker Peter Munro in crafting the South Australian vintage of 2021 – DR3 the 3rd x St Hugo South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 and DR3 the 3rd x St Hugo South Australian Shiraz 2021.
The collection was released yesterday (27 March) and will be available online and in select travel retail locations, before rolling out globally later this year.
Each bottle of the limited-edition expressions has been individually numbered and is presented in a newly designed collectable label and gift box, inspired by the sparks that fly off F1 cars racing around the track.
Ricciardo commented: “Looking back to when we launched DR3 x St Hugo with two fine wines, we had dreams of where we were going to take our partnership, and three years later we are really hitting our stride. The 2021 vintages of DR3 the 3rd x St Hugo show that we are serious about this, and these wines offer a load of flavour and are perfect for cellaring – love them and they will love you back.”
Munro said: “The 2021 vintage was exceptional. Good Spring rainfall set the vines up well for what was to become a very mild and dry ripening season. Paired with no significant rain, temperatures below average and only three days above 35⁰C in February and March, we had ideal ripening conditions which resulted in an extended ripening window.”
Less traditional than St Hugo wines in structure, the DR3 x St Hugo collection is described as “expressive in their youth, fruit-driven and floral”. In line with the company’s philosophy, the majority of grapes for the 2021 Shiraz were sourced from cooler regions of South Australia.
The South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 features the distinctive characteristics of the 2021 vintage. On the nose, it suggests dark floral violet notes with dark red fruits and blackcurrant, raspberry with hints of bay leaf. On the palate, it offers tastes of fine tannins with bright red fruits and hints of oak.
The South Australian Shiraz 2021 is the product of individually created parcels sourced from a range of South Australian regions, matured in oak for 14 months, then blended. Described as dark and brooding, the nose carries notes of blackberry and dark cherry fruit, with hints of florals and blueberries all encased in a chassis of graphite, mineral, and a touch of char. It features masses of berry, pomegranate, and raspberry fruit on the palate.
DR3 the 3rd x St Hugo is also available in a range of large formats with 1.5l Magnums, 3l Double Magnums and 6l Methuselahs, offering remarkable ageing and improved maturation potential. ✈
