Winemaker Notes
Nice round, plump style of Shiraz. Loads of plum and black berry on the nose, with the small Viognier component adding exotic notes of spiced apricots. There’s lots of ripe plum flavors, alongside graphite and dried herbs. It’s a luscious, soft wine, finishing with restrained tannin and moderate acidity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A shiraz that shows lots of licorice, brambleberries, charcoal, ash and dried sage. Medium to full body, grainy tannins and a chewy finish. Drink in 2020.
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Wine & Spirits
This shiraz is cofermented with six percent viognier, brightening the wine’s floral scents and adding an orange-oil note to the red fruit. It’s dense and soft, but finishes clean, with an herbal edge; for grilled lamb.
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.