Winemaker Notes
This wine is deep garnet in color. Perfumed aromas of musk, blackberry, dried herbs and clove are supported by underlying notes of wood smoke. The palate is loaded with generous fruit, spice and balanced by fine savory tannins on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted out of new Heinrich oak, the 2017 Hillside Shiraz comes across as a bit floral and confectionary, with bold cherry and blueberry flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, with hints of toasted popcorn on the long finish.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
James Suckling
Aromas of red-plum compote and creamy baking spices abound here. The oak is assertive, but the fruit laps it up on the palate with a smooth, spicy-plum core.
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Wine & Spirits
Gamey and rich, this is a fully oaked shiraz with staying power. The blueberry flavors feel a little loose and soft, but the tannins keep it in a clean, tight and spicy line that benefits from several days of air. Cellar this for a year or two before decanting with grilled lamb kabobs.
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.