Winemaker Notes
The vintage was outstanding due in part to good winter rainfall and a milder than usual summer with only a few days of extreme temperatures. The result was an excellent, even ripening period.
Aged for 14 months in a combination of French & American oak barrels, the wine is sealed with a screw cap and pairs ideally with lamb, grilled steak and wild mushroom risotto.
"Purple/black in color, the nose reveals scorched earth, smoke, espresso, blueberry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied wine with gobs of black fruit flavors, excellent depth and concentration, and a long, pure finish...It is a superb value"
-Wine Advocate
"Dark purple. Sexy blackberry and boysenberry preserve aromas, with iron, tobacco and vanillin oak accents and an intriguing floral note emerging with air. Fresh dark berry flavors display impressive depth but also good energy thanks to juicy acidity. The oak notes sweeten the finish, which shows very good breadth and length. Easy to drink and not at all outsized."
-International Wine Cellar
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.