Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich wine with juicy aromas of blackcurrants, blueberries and anise with baking spices, undergrowth, coffee grinds and cocoa nibs. A lovely combination of freshness, svelte tannins, a well-positioned curb of oak and a nourishing finish that will please traditionalists, as much as lovers of fresher, contemporary styles. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 GAM Shiraz is a classic McLaren Shiraz: it is chocolaty, textural and fleshy and sourced from Whites Valley—a tiny pocket. The softness in the mouth becomes more clear once we know there is a little bit of American oak in the maturation mix. This is plush and intense, bloody and ferrous yet quite fine through the finish. It is earthy and open-knit. Smart. Savory.
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.