Want to taste a 94pt, cool climate Shiraz from McLaren Vale? A what? Yeah, just read that again. Well, here's one outside the box that ticks all the right sections of the 'drink-me-right-now!' form.
*Ref. RRP as at 22/08/13: $20 direct from producer
Everyone wants the best of both worlds. Well, here it is on a silver platter.
This number is wonderfully juxtaposed McLaren Vale Shiraz, with a lovely lifted and vibrant perfumed nose of cherry and blueberry fruits, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and spice, silky cocoa-powder tannins, and a lovely peppery texture that could lead you down the garden path and make you think that this was really rich, cool climate Shiraz.
But it's not. It's McLaren Vale, it's just the more feminine (still voluptuous, don't get me wrong) style of McLaren Vale. Very impressive intensity of flavour and length, and all the hallmarks of a very much more expensive wine.
Yet another solid vintage for the folks at this winery (one of our faves) and they bucked the curse of the vintage by making a really, REALLY good wine. Now that's winemaking skill.
94 points and Special Value from Halliday...don't even worry about it! They've got this.
Now you should get this too...
Producer - MOFO SECRET
We could tell you... but we won't. Because then you wouldn't have this wine available to you. And that would be sad.
Region - McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a region that lives in the shadow of the hype of the Barossa. While it has played on Shiraz as its drawcard, and continues to battle (quite rightly) with the supreme power of the Barossa, perhaps the most exciting wines from this region are its old vine Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre/Monastrell - whatever you want to call it), and its more recent foray into Spanish and Italian varietals. Both the sun's warmth and the reliable salty afternoon gully breeze make the climate closer to Mediterranean than many other Aussie regions, and some of the Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo and Sangiovese from here are sublime (to name only a few). Awareness, proper consideration and sense of place are key attributes to the region's success, and its recent win against urbanisation reinforces the value of the viticultural region.
