Hard to say what caught my attention
Vixen crazy, aphid attraction

Thus sung Slipknot with their ‘ballad’ Vermilion. Anyways, The Vermilion Bird Of The South is the Chinese name for group of constellations which includes Canis Major and the Dog Star: Sirius.  I think the connection is pretty self-evident. A lovely embossed bottle. Cork closure and limited release.

Rusty Mutt, Vermilion Bird, Shiraz, McLaren Vale, 2014

Intense, overt purple and black fruits, overlaid with mocha, cola syrup, roasted dandelion root tea and steely ferrous line. Full bodied. The concentrated, syrupy palate has had time to integrate through the years, yet still offering big bombs of flavour. Tannins are tacky and there’s still lift to the layers of interplay between fruit and oak. A big wine in a big style.

RRP: $88
Alc: 14.5%
Rating: 18/20

Wine sample courtesy of Rusty Mutt