Winemaker Notes
#9 Wine Enthusiast Top 100? Best Buy of 2019
This is a value packed wine that punches well above its weight. The bouquet is open and fruit driven displaying an abundance of red and black fruits, mixed with deft touches of spice and earthiness. You'll find generous proportions on the palate, with lots of sweet juicy fruits, ripe for tasting. The roundness of Grenache, sits on top of the solid structural foundation of Shiraz and is punctuated by the tight, punchy line of Mourvedre. The three varieties coexisting in perfect harmony resulting in a balanced wine of great length and depth.
Blend: 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, 20% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Ripe plums and red berries are followed by licorice, flowers and tarmac aromas. The palate is plump and rich, with a vice-like grip of savory, woody, tight-grained tannins, lifted acidity and crunchy red fruit. Still finding its feet, this this could use a few more years in bottle. Drink 2020–2030.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.