Taylors Masterstroke McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 $60 Glossy, inky, and aromatically a beast all of its own. Very different to Taylors Clare Valley shiraz styles in that it’s scented on the earthy, smoky, spicy spectrum while underlying layers of plum, blackcurrant and peppered berries unroll across chewy, toasty, sandy tannins. Dry, densely structured and loaded … Read More
McLaren Vale
Penfolds Grange 2017
Penfolds Grange 2017 $850 This is the 70th anniversary of one of the most famous wines in the world, an Australian treasure and in the words of Peter Gago, its custodian, it’s an example of “sticks and stones filtration” rather than anything manufactured or synthesised. It’s also only the 7th Grange to be comprised of … Read More
Dune McLaren Vale Tirari 2020
Dune McLaren Vale Tirari 2020 $26.99 With Coriole Vineyard family pedigree behind them, brothers Peter and Duncan Lloyd, this Blewitt Springs-grown blend of mourvèdre, negroamaro, grenache, touriga and a little bit of shiraz is all sorts of sippable. Smooth, spicy and berry-saturated, here’s a wine with real personality and charm and a long, plummy finish. … Read More
The Hedonist McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018
The Hedonist McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018 $30 I loved the 2016 vintage of this organically produced, biodynamically-grown wine, so I’ve been chomping and stomping to try the new release. Made by winemakers Kimberly and James Cooter, this is a shiraz that is the opposite of those sweet, jammy, cheek-punchers on the supermarket shelves. It’s the … Read More
Young & Co The Jam McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018
Young & Co The Jam McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018 ($17.99) The shiny, new Young & Co ‘The Jam’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018 ($17.99) provides a perfect pairsome with anything featuring roast beetroot. Boasting buckets of dark berryfruit, cocoa and espresso layers, peppery punchiness and fresh, feisty acidity and caramelised, smoky, oaky notes – it’s a … Read More
Reynella Basket Press McLaren Vale Shiraz 2014 $40 ★★★★
Alongside the bog standard technical stuff written on the notes that accompanied my sample of this bottle (things like acidity, alcohol, pH etc…) the winemaker has added ‘Occasion = Late Night’. I concur. Dark chocolate, seasoned leather, cigar box and blackcurrant compote notes followed by cockle-warming, juicy, spiciness on the finish, makes this the perfect … Read More
NOW by Paxton McLaren Vale Organic Shiraz 2016 $30 (4 stars)
The name stands for ‘Natural Organic Wine’ and in this these guys have been making organic, preservative-free wines since WAY before it was cool. Here you’ve got a bright, vibrant, floral-fest of a shiraz which has a long, liquorice-like layer through the mid-palate. It’s not sweet and jammy as many South Australian shiraz’s can be … Read More
Chalk Hill Sidetrack Mclaren Vale 2011
Chalk Hill Sidetrack Mclaren Vale 2011 $27 ★★★½ This is a lush, spicy blend of shiraz and grenache which carries an exotic, slightly medicinal aroma that wraps around slightly earthy characters like prunes and pepper. There’s also a lovely smoky, nutty note and a long, gently savoury finish. Winemaker Jock Harvey fashioned the Sidetrack in … Read More
Beresford Bell Tower McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013
Beresford Bell Tower McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 $20 ★★★½ Who doesn’t love a big, rich, Australian shiraz that radiates ripe, dark, dusty berries, sweet plum and chocolate? This is one of those wines that I warmed to straight away because the price is right and it held it’s flavours for a decent length of time … Read More
Mr Riggs ‘The Truant’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013
Mr Riggs ‘The Truant’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 $17.99 ★★★½ If you like your shiraz with meat on its bones then this will be an instant hit. Deeply earthy on the nose and showing ultra-ripe plum, blackcurrant, smoky tar and molasses complexity in the mouth – it’s a rich, peppery wine and a meal in … Read More
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