Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dark, rich and bold, with a velvety richness to the dense tannins, providing the backbone for thick flavors of black walnut liqueur, blueberry syrup, sandalwood and espresso. Gains intensity on the long finish. Not for the faint of heart. Drink now through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
Full-bodied, rich and chewy, this is a big, bold wine. Ample oak frames black cherry and cassis fruit, adding hints of vanilla and dark chocolate to the fudge-like impression. Warmth suffuses the palate, but doesn't quite progress to full-blown high-alcohol heat. There's no doubting its impressive intensity and ripeness. Drink now–2025.
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.