Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby in color. The nose offers spicy notes of pepper, aniseed and marzipan alongside dark fruit and a touch of flint. Red and purple fruits lead the way on the palate, followed by black olive, mocha and a touch of licorice. The finish supports with fine-grained, chalky tannins.
Blend: 95% Shiraz, 5% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
This is a good proprietary shiraz, plying peppery spice, a whiff of mint, cardamon and clove along rails of salty freshness. Slinky and fresh without any forfeit of flavour, nor paucity of structure. Just enough in all regards, although very, very marginal. I prefer this to some higher up, at least in lieu of the price. Still, it pushes the envelope of mid-palate astringency.
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James Suckling
This is a good proprietary shiraz, with peppery spice, a hint of mint, cardamon and clove along rails of salty freshness. Slinky and fresh without any forfeit of flavor, nor paucity of structure. Just enough in all regards, although very, very marginal. I prefer this to some higher up, at least in lieu of the price. Still, it pushes the envelope of mid-palate astringency.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Basket Pressed Shiraz leads with blackcurrant pastille, raspberry jam, licorice and dark charry oak. In the mouth, the wine is all about the exotic fruit, which is shaped through the finish by a combination of French, American and Eastern European oak. This is enveloping, voluminous and weighty, my only quibble would be with the finish, where I feel the oak pinches the fruit. Otherwise, the highlight is that it is a poster-child for McLaren Vale Shiraz: intense, voluptuous and silky.
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.