Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Opaque with a glossy purple rim. Impressive aromas of tapenade, barbecue, blueberry, clove and pepper grind. There is an element of reduction imparting tension, yet nothing obtuse. The acidity is a little hard, to be a pedant. Yet the mid-palate is buoyant and pulpy and the finish a free-flow of fruit and commensurate joy.
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James Suckling
Opaque with a glossy purple rim. Impressive aromas of tapenade, barbecue, blueberries, cloves and pepper grind. There is an element of reduction imparting tension, yet nothing obtuse. The acidity is a little hard, to be a pedant. Yet the mid-palate is buoyant and pulpy and the finish a free-flow of fruit and commensurate joy. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
A packed-full nose of ripe blackcurrant, dark chocolate, coffee bean and spice lead to a full figured palate that delivers on the high octane fruit-and-spice combo but with restrained tannins and appealing succulence.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and concentrated, with a wonderful sense of harmony to the fleshy core of blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry flavors. Shows details of bittersweet chocolate, fresh violet, white pepper and toasty cedar.
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.