Chapel Hill MV Mourvedre 2022

 

All I want is a rack of pork ribs with this Chapel Hill MV Mourvedre in a glass to wash them down. What a beauty!

Chapel Hill MV Shiraz 2022

 

I like this. A great representation of McLaren Vale Shiraz, this Chapel Hill MV develops impressively in the glass.

Chapel Hill MV Bush Vine Grenache 2022

 

A Grenache with some depth, the fruit and spices mingle with ease delivering a wine with an attractive presence and flow.

Yangarra Estate Blanc 2022

 

An exercise in blending expertise, this Yangarra Estate Blanc brings together a curious bunch of varieties, yet the final product is a fabulous wine dripping with textural interest.

Yangarra Estate Preservative Free Shiraz 2022

 

A dance party of red fruit and berries cut the moves in this preservative free Shiraz from Yangarra Estate.

Yangarra Estate Preservative Free Grenache 2022

 

PF for Preservative Free. Such a pretty hue captures the eye but there is some heft in the glass. 

Yangarra Estate Noir 2022

 

Such an intriguing wine, this Yangarra Estate Noir is bursting with curiosity and interest. I could keep my nose in the glass for a while - it is so expressive. 

Penny's Hill The Footprint Shiraz 2021

The Footprint Shiraz pays tribute to the McLaren Vale geological map that identified the soils that make these select rows the best on the Penny's Hill site. More refined than the Skeleton Key, the new oak is prominent.

Penny's Hill Skeleton Key Shiraz 2021

 

With the ability to age pulsing through its veins coupled with a rich concentration of fruit in the mid-palate, this is a great McLaren Vale Shiraz from Penny's Hill.

Penny's Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2021

 

A McLaren Vale Shiraz from Penny's Hill that is all about getting in deep with dark fruit and dark chocolate. From two sites that were fermented separately before blending, one from Malpas Road planted in 1991 and the other from the Penny's Hill vineyard.

Juxtaposed Sangiovese 2021

 

A McLaren Vale Sangiovese showing good form and plenty of interest from the hands of Dr Wes Pearson.

Juxtaposed Wait Vineyard Shiraz 2021

 

Dr Wes Pearson is all about detail and the one percenters and the new labels for his Juxtaposed wines express the finer details for wine nerds like me - winning! From the Sandy Corner Block of the Wait Vineyard comes this excellent McLaren Vale Shiraz off 55-year-old vines.

Juxtaposed Fiano 2022

 

This is quite a lovely drink. From the Lacey Vineyard in McLaren Vale, attractive aromas and the detailed textural appeal make this a delicious Fiano to savour.

Juxtaposed Home Block Minchella Shiraz 2021

 

Wine and food matching is overrated. Pour a glass of this Home Block Minchella Shiraz and have it with a packet of Freckles by your side. Job done. Oh, and this is a great wine too! It's very impressive.

Juxtaposed Wait Vineyard Grenache 2021

 

More sophisticated than the Smart/Wait Grenache blend, this walks with a furrowed brow and intent. The focus of this release is quite noticeable and is a step to the right compared to the usual joyful and juicy Grenache wines seen in the past.

Juxtaposed Smart/Wait Grenache 2021

 

From the hands of the AWRI guru Dr Wes Pearson comes this Juxtaposed Grenache. A blend of fruit from the famed Smart and Wait vineyards (Clarendon and Blewitt Springs respectively), this 2021 is a muscular rendition.

Hesketh GAR Cabernet Shiraz 2021

 

GAR stands for the Great Australian Red and that red would be the Cabernet Shiraz blend that Aussies can call their own. A blend of Coonawarra Cabernet from Parker's Abbey Vineyard and McLaren Vale Shiraz from Hardy's Upper Tintara Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, this is a generous red wine that calls you back for more.

Yangarra Estate Ovitelli Blanc 2021

 

Wonderfully textural with a faint minerally vibe, this Ovetelli Blanc is making quite a name for itself.

Yangarra Estate King’s Wood Shiraz 2021

 

I like this... A lot. There's a sweetness of blue fruit that hooks you in before an array of spices seduces and sends you into a frenzy.

Yangarra Estate Ironheart Shiraz 2020

If you are drinking this Yangarra Estate Ironheart then you are zeroing in on the apex of McLaren Vale Shiraz. It's always a superbly crafted wine and this 2020 release is no different.