Red Knot McLaren Vale Classified GSM 2018 (Australia)

Red Knot McLaren Vale Classified GSM 2018 (Australia)Savoury oak Blackberry Peppermint & Vanilla Fine Tannins "It's medium bodied, and there are no bumps on the road at any stage just easy rolling along with food friendly flavours at the right price. Has made good use of the vintage. Special Value" James Halliday, Wine Companion, Aug 2019 "A complete, balanced, easy drinking red with good berry fruit and faint savouriness from oak. Ripe, integrated tannin. A standout at this price" Toni Paterson, Real

• Savoury oak
• Blackberry
• Peppermint & Vanilla
• Fine Tannins

"It's medium-bodied, and there are no bumps on the road at any stage – just easy rolling along with food friendly flavours at the right price. Has made good use of the vintage. Special Value" James Halliday, Wine Companion, Aug 2019

"A complete, balanced, easy-drinking red with good berry fruit and faint savouriness from oak. Ripe, integrated tannin. A standout at this price" Toni Paterson, Real Review, May 2019

"Deep, dark colour, with a strongly oak-fused bouquet which suggests blackberry, star anise vanilla and peppermint. The palate is full-bodied and juicy, loaded with fruit sweetness and an attractive array of flavours. The finish is long and satisfying, the fine tannins helping to balance the generosity of the fruit. A smart wine indeed, and surprising value" Huon Hooke, Real Review, May 2019

Medium magenta in colour. Fragrant aromas of cherry liqueur chocolate, roses, briar and spice entice. The lively, medium weight palate is filled with flavours of ripe strawberries. The luscious Grenache is complemented and structurally enhanced by the darker berry flavours and ripe tannins of the Shiraz and Mourvèdre, offering immediate appeal, whilst with age the wine will develop an attractive, savoury complexity.

The region has a Mediterranean climate with wet winters, dry summers and plenty of sunshine. The proximity to St Vincent Gulf, coincidentally named after the patron saint of winemakers, benefits fruit quality with warmer spring and autumn conditions and cooler summers. McLaren Vale is renowned as a premium wine region of great beauty that consistently produces high quality, richly flavoured wines.

After a dry start to winter there was good rainfall, ending up 10% above the long term averages, flushing and filling soil profiles to saturation. Although a mid-September bud burst was later than recent vintages it was in line with long term averages. Spring rainfall was well below average, resulting in low disease pressure. Average day and night spring temperatures were close to record highs, resulting in steady vine shoot growth, catching up some ground after the later bud burst. There was 10mm of rain on December 1st and another 15 mm on December 15th, freshening the vines during early berry development. With only 6 mm of rain in January and 5 mm in February summer rainfall ended up only two thirds of the average. Drier and warmer than average conditions continued through March and April resulting in a disease free and orderly progression to vintage, allowing time for the potential of each batch of grapes to be maximised in the winery. Harvest started with Semillon on February 6th and the McLaren Vale white and rosé blocks were all off by February 19th when the first Davey Estate Shiraz was picked. Shiraz harvest, other than a small parcel for fortified, was completed on March 24th and Cabernet Sauvignon soon after on March 29th, just before Easter. Mataro, the last of the Grenache and Shiraz for fortification were harvested after Easter with all fruit in by April 5th. The 2018 white and rosé wines are richly flavoured with good length. The reds are full bodied and deeply coloured, showing intense fruit flavour with big round chewy tannins. Simply an outstanding vintage with the promise to be rated as one of the great years for McLaren Vale.

Serve lightly chilled in the heat of summer. (70% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, 10% Mourvèdre).

Food Pairing: Delicious with beef wellington & gravy with steamed vegetables or seared venison steak