Ulithorne Aureus McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021

96 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Gorgeously styled and enticing, the wine exhibits complex aromas of dark fruit intensity, espresso, mocha, toasted spice, and cedar characters. It's succulent and wonderfully weighted in the mouth, delivering a plush mouthfeel and finely pitched tannins. Harmonious and opulent, offering terrific drinking.

96 POINTS

Russ Gallagher - Vino Masters

Deep, brooding and unmistakably serious, this is McLaren Vale Shiraz turned up with confidence and class. Aromas of blackberry, black plum and black liquorice surge from the glass, layered with dark chocolate, cracked pepper, roasted spice and a distinctive asphalt-like savoury edge that adds real intrigue. The palate is full-bodied, powerful and densely packed, delivering waves of dark fruit with impressive depth and drive. Blackberry, plum, liquorice and cocoa sit at the core, framed by firm, polished tannins and a muscular structure that gives the wine serious authority. There isbalance and shape here, with savoury spice, pepper and mineral-like darkness adding complexity through the mid-palate. The finish is long, bold and commanding, carrying dark fruit, chocolate, liquorice and spice with impressive persistence. ★★★★★ Powerful, intense and impressively structured McLaren Vale Shiraz

96 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

This is a cracking good wine from what was a cracking good year in McLaren Vale. It's from a single vineyard and was all hand-pruned and hand-picked, with individual parcels treated separately in small batch fermenters. It was then basket pressed into French oak, where it spent 18 months. And each parcel was then reviewed before the best were blended into the final wine. It's a smooth and textured wine displaying opulence evident immediately on the nose and heightened on the palate. Typical plummy notes with even a little blue fruit character and some subtle spicy mocha notes. Seamless, integrated, and smooth palate delivers to a sustained, accelerated finish. Excellent wine.

94 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - campbellmattinson.com

There’s a stunning richness to this wine. It’s packed with layers of blackberry, asphalt, malt, black licorice and peppercorn flavours, with dark chocolate characters wrapped around it all. For all of its power it still feels neat; nothing sticks out, and nothing has been applied excessively. It’s as cohesive as it is seamless. The tannin itself has a grain to it too, which fist with the grunty feel of the wine itself. It’s a dark wine for a dark night. It’s warm, rich and emphatic.