Winemaker Notes
Deep dark red with a black core. On the nose, deep and complex with notes of spiced plums, blueberries, mulberries, violets and mocha. Full bodies but wears its weight with charm and grace. Bright blue fruits (think plums, blueberries, mulberries) with a lovely floral overlay which gives the palate some pop and energy. Rich through the mid-palate with chewy dense tanniins. Finishes with lots of energy and perissitence. Notes of mocha and spice cake emerge through the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Espresso and toasted hazelnut notes are rich and thick, with mocha-accented tannins that lend a velvety backdrop to the polished blackberry, licorice and black cherry flavors, lingering generously on the long finish. Drink now through 2030.
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Wine & Spirits
Michael Twelftree blends this wine from a range of vineyards in McLaren Vale, emphasizing the fragrant fruit and black-olive intensity the region’s shiraz can provide. The sleek, polished texture is all about richness, completely filling the mouth with flavors of black raspberries, while the contrast of savory tannins keeps it spicy. Rather than thick or chunky, it feels elegant and clean.
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.