Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Ink-dark and seductively fragrant, this offers blackberry, dark plum and floral flavors, weaving in glints of red earth, cinnamon and licorice as the finish rolls on elegantly. Has depth and finesse for a wine of such power.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep purple-black and a little closed on the nose with very pure blackberry and plum preserves, some red fruit and floral highlights intermingled with menthol, espresso and a whiff of coconut and spices, the full-bodied 2012 Velvet Glove is a big, rich and concentrated wine with a great tannic backbone that is both firm and fine. It is complemented by refreshing acidity and a very long finish with the licorice and chocolate coming through.
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.