Winemaker Notes
Quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz, with the added alchemy of the co-fermented Viognier skins this wine makes a statement. Bold, fragrant aromas and some peppery spice. The black Doris plum, mulberry and boysenberries are overlayed with a perfume of red fruit sweetness. All the berries! Rounded yet chalky tannins add great structure and mouth feel to this core d’Arenberg wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Quite a savory expression with dark plums, dried blackberries and violets, as well as fine-ground, toasted brown-spice notes, such as cloves, cardamon and mace. The palate holds a compact, flavorful stance with fine tannins wrapping dark-fruit flavors and cocoa-like notes neatly into the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Compact and juicy but oozing with raspberry, currant and kirsch flavors; malty Assam tea, anise and sage details and dried ginger notes that linger on the finish. Delivers dense tannins. Shiraz and Viognier. Drink now.
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.