Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Hillside Shiraz is still a little closed, though with coaxing lots of blackberry and spice aromas emerge with vanilla, toast and marmite notes, plus a touch of bacon. Full-bodied and concentrated, it is definitely big, yet taut and youthful in the mouth with firm, grainy tannins, a crisp acid backbone and a long finish. Drink it now to 2022+.Rating: 93+
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Wine Enthusiast
A McLaren Vale standard bearer, the 2010 Hillside is a complex, beguiling example of Shiraz. Toast and vanilla notes frame hints of raspberries, herbs and espresso on the nose, while the flavors add olive-tinged elements. Despite showing ample weight, this isn’t the biggest wine, just one that shows impressive harmony and length. Drink now through at least 2025.
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Wine & Spirits
A clean, fragrant shiraz, this wine’s light tannins bring black olive notes to the red fruit and tobacco scents. Those tannins have a sandy feel, meshing with the soft texture of the fruit. Ready for roast beef.
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.