Winemaker Notes
Dense, dark and brooding in the glass, the Velvet Glove Shiraz is complex and sumptuous. Black plum, blueberries and roasted coffee intermingle with anise in its lifted fragrance. A supremely smooth molten chocolate mouthfeel accentuates the precise balance of infinitely complex structure, expressing deep flavors of berries, whilst licorice and allspice linger on the palate.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
A full-throttle expression of Shiraz, with warm, syrupy notes of huckleberry, blackberry and milk chocolate, plus baking spice details of clove, cinnamon and cardamom. A caramel hint lingers. The tannins are dense but smooth and practically creamy on the long finish.
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.