Hargreaves Hill, ESB

You expect vineyards to flourish in Mediterranean climates right? I mean, there's Denbies in Dorking I suppose, but I'd always assumed that the hotter the better for grapes. Similarly with hops: hotter climates = fruitier, more pungent hops? Right? (Disclaimer: conclusion reached naively and utterly unscientifically.) I was left disappointedly underwhelmed by the Sly Fox and Hop Bomb (albeit only very slightly in the case of the latter): my expectations of massively citrusy pale ales born of glorious sunshine and soaring temperatures were confounded somewhat. This all changed with the Hargreaves Hill ESB.I understand that the beautiful Yarra Valley is famous for it's vineyards? Is there a link between the calibre of the grape and hop here?

Their branding (embossed labels....mmmm) and website is just my cup of tea (to my mind: sophisticated without coming across as too poncey) and I want that RIS, if only for that gorgeous bottle (wineification of beer to another level!). Very, very citrus nose of the bottleneck indeed. Not ESB to my mind (I'm thinking of the Fuller's drink here), but that matters very little. A good, strong bitter aftertaste. My immediate thoughts were a top Kernel but darker in colour. (That ought to be a pretty accurate comparison to give you the idea of how it tasted.) Good head plus lacing. If I had to find one fault it'd be that it seemed to lose some it's admirable body as it warmed, but otherwise, simply a fabulous beer from a brewery that do it very right.