2025 Coriole Sangiovese, McLaren Vale

Coriole’s relationship with Sangiovese is one of the great Australian wine stories. The Lloyd family planted the variety in the 1980s when Italian grapes were still a curiosity, making them pioneers of Mediterranean varieties in McLaren Vale. Decades of refinement have shaped a house style that respects Sangiovese’s Tuscan roots while embracing the Vale’s generosity.

Viticulture focuses on moderate yields and flavour development, and at the winery fermentation is tuned to preserve the grape’s bright red fruit and natural savoury edge. Oak is used carefully to frame the wine lightly without masking the fruit: the aim is a Sangiovese that feels structured and expressive.

It pairs beautifully with pasta, pizza, grilled meats and tomato based dishes, exactly the foods the variety was born to meet. Drinking impressively now with air, it will cellar comfortably for several years while developing earthy and leathery nuance.

About this producer

Coriole was founded in 1967 by Hugh and Molly Lloyd after purchasing their Chaffeys Road property in McLaren Vale with its existing Shiraz vineyard. Today, the second and third-generation family members are the caretakers of a much-enlarged viticultural heritage, with 25 vineyard sites across Blewitt Springs, Willunga and McLaren Flat, and vines up to 90 years old. The vineyards are managed by a team led by Mark Bates, with Duncan Lloyd as his counterpart at the winery.