I was privileged to judge the wine of the year in Hilltops this week and I surprised even myself by choosing not a shiraz but a cabernet – and a brand new wine not yet released, for that matter. I had no idea of the price at the time, and expected it to be at least double this figure. Jason Brown has since told me he’s struggled to achieve recognition for Hilltops cabernet in the past, so made it his mission to turn this around in the excellent 2012 vintage, isolating the best fruit of his mature vines and throwing it into smart oak barrels. The result is all class, a wine that looks remarkably Margaret Riveresque in its fine, gravelly structural confidence. Lovely violet fragrance rises as it opens to reveal accurate blackcurrant fruit. A wine of seamless structure and great longevity. Best price direct.