2018 Mitolo Savitar Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Deep and full bright red.

A nose of incredible complexity with clove, cedar and wood spice lending a savoury impression to the powerful blackberry, black licorice fruits Packed with layer after layer of flavour, this wine is a serious expression of Shiraz,from this revered site. The cool vintage brings some elegance and a darker more savoury edge. Flavours tend to darker fruits: blackberry, black olive and sage like herbals. Clove spice derived from oak ageing adds another dimension again with that same oak providing some structural tannins that importantly frame and tame the expressive fruit.

Super-premium shiraz postcode 101: judicious extraction conferring tannic prowess; presumably some whole-berry work imparting floral/iodine lift and a joyous pulpy mid palate; barrel-ferment smoked-meat aromas and a skein of pepper, tapenade and clove-doused freshness. This is a bumptious warm-climate shiraz that nevertheless boasts the aromatic synergy and structural latticework of an expression from somewhere cooler. Very good.

95 points Ned Goodwin winecompanion.com.au 4 January 2021