2021 Mystery McLaren Vale Shiraz Deal No. 91

96 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

This is superbly composed and immensely appealing with blackberry, stylish oak, smoked game, warm spice and dark cocoa characters, leading to a powerfully concentrated palate delivering terrific fruit intensity and persistency. Bold and sturdy, it's filled with delectable flavours, finishing magnificently long and engaging. At its best: now to 2041

94 POINTS

Steve Leszczynski - QWine

Pays tribute to the McLaren Vale geological map that identified the soils that make these select rows the best on the Penny's Hill site. More refined than the Skeleton Key, the new oak is prominent. It sees 15 months in French oak barriques (38% new) with the remainder in one and two year old. The fruit is picked from rows 50-59. The generosity of this Shiraz cannot be missed yet there is a polish that rounds it off. Blackberries and dark plums reach high and long. Mulberries and baked blueberries are parcelled up by a scattering of baking spices, peppery spices and mocha. Those spices linger with some star anise chiming in late. Decant to drink now, this will continue to develop beautifully with bottle age

94 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Smoky spicy char-oak and meaty concentration. Intensity and penetration, fleshy extract and completeness. Superb

93 POINTS

Marcus Ellis - Halliday's Wine Companion

From rows 50 to 59, the highest in the home vineyard, this is both a best-fruit and best-barrel (all French) selection. This is a freight train of intensity, but it’s slickly delivered, devoid of rough edges. Blackberry, dark cherry, bitter chocolate, turned earth and vanilla bean sit across a full-bodied wine that’s built to age, with commanding tannins underscoring the intent

92 POINTS

Angus Hughson - Vinous

This full-throttle and bold 2021 McLaren Vale Shiraz offers a rich array of aromas with classic blackberry and chocolate topped by coal fire and sweet oak in a modern, slick style. It’s then muscular and brooding, dense dark fruits bound up in a wall of firm tannins holding through to a lengthy, weighty finish. All the pieces are in place which should see this wine build layers and interest over time.