Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
I admit I was a bit disappointed by this wine's performance once it was revealed. It's still an excellent wine, but enough greenish notes intrude to keep my enthusiasm restrained. Alfalfa and mint notes on the nose lead into a combination of green peppercorn, cherry and roasted meat on the palate. It's round in the mouth, finishing on a dry, ashy note.
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Wine & Spirits
A plump and easy picnic wine to pour with charcuterie, this has rich flavors of black- and blueberries while remaining completely savory. The tannins have a cool mineral feel and, as much as magpies may like to get right in your face, this wine keeps a more comfortable distance.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.