2021 Mystery McLaren Vale Shiraz Deal No. 6302

96 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

A cracking McLaren Vale Shiraz from a brilliant year, the name comes from founder Frank Mitolo’s three children, Gemma, Alexander and Marco. The wine sees twenty months maturation in a mix of French and American oak hogsheads, 70% older with 25% new French and 5% new American. Purple maroon colour here, with the nose giving us ample evidence of how richly flavoured and truly gorgeous this wine is. It is a plush McLaren Vale Shiraz that is wonderful drinking. The price suggests it is not for everyday drinking but it is still terrific value and there are plenty of prestige releases with far loftier price tags put in the shade by this gem (or perhaps one should say this gam?). We have notes of mocha, coffee beans, blackberries, aniseed and cassis. Ripe and dense with good focus and energy as well as real intensity. Fine, silky tannins and a hint of graphite across the palate. For McLaren Vale, this is about as refined and elegant as we are likely to see. Love it. Juicy acidity and great length round out the package. Enjoy any time over the next fifteen years.

95 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Powerfully expressed, the bouquet shows blackberry, rich floral, smoked meat, clove, and toasty oak characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering velvety texture and excellent density. Superbly framed by layers of chalky tannins, finishing sturdy and harmonious.

94 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

Firstly, the lettering does not represent grape varieties – the wine was created originally to honour Frank Mitolo’s children Gemma, Alexander and Mario. The wine is rich with varietal and regional character: classic Satsuma plum, summery wafts of ripening fruits and drying herbs like sage and thyme, a subtle spearmint note as well. The palate is effusive and wealthy, plenty of flavour that soaks up any overt new oak influence leaving a fleshy, faintly sappy mouthfeel, sticky tannins in play for a lingering, textural finish.

93 POINTS

Stuart Knox - The Real Review

Deepest ruby red colour. Black cherry, dry loam and ironstone aromas. Palate is full but has a lift of acidity that gives a sense of freshness to the ripe blue and black fruits. As it lingers there’s a dusty dark earth note and hints of anise and bitter chocolate. Tannins are finely built, carrying it long and building as it heads to the finish.

93 POINTS

Marcus Ellis - Halliday Wine Companion

From the Home Block and Lopresti vineyard Lots 10 and 11. Like the Savitar, this was destemmed and crushed, with a relatively cool ferment, but less new oak, 25% new French and 5% new American, the balance seasoned French; 20 months' maturation. As always, this is generous and enveloping, but there’s freshness and a certain transparency, too. It’s also more savoury than luscious. Black cherry and plum, dried blackberry, anise and black pepper, leather and tar, cacao nibs. Tannins are admirably fine, with acidity cutting a clean path, all in balance with fruit.

93 POINTS

Angus Hughson - Vinous

The 2021 Shiraz G.A.M. seduces with its unfurling layers of aged meat, blackberry, coriander seed and well-integrated high-quality oak. Vibrant and energetic dark cherry flavors are composed, topped with spicy, floral elements that hold their shape admirably over a lengthy finish. The tannins have a little bite right now but will settle nicely in time.

92 POINTS

James Suckling

Flavorful, composed and driven, offering plums, dried herbs and dried spices on the nose. It's medium-bodied with polished tannins. Refined texture to the juicy, velvety core of dark cherries, a lift of peppercorns adding verve to the finish. Drink or hold.

Matthew Jukes

G.A.M. has always been a sublime creation with a velvety stance on the palate and superb balance. This is an unhurried and yet grand creation, and with five years under its belt, it is already harmonious, succulent and classy. This is a superb wine to introduce newcomers to the upper echelons of this winery. Score: 18/20