Angove McLaren Vale GSM 2018 (Australia)

Angove McLaren Vale GSM 2018 (Australia)French oak Blackberry Licorice Silky finish "This blend has a briary array of blackberries, blueberries and plums, framed in earth and oak nuances. The palate has really succulent red fruit flavors and a smooth, easy balance. Drink now" James Suckling, jamessuckling. com, Jun 2020 "In the groove. Redcurrant and licorice flavours meet fistfuls of woodsy spice. Its generous and well shaped; it offers both quality and value. Licks of tannin here are

• French oak 
• Blackberry
• Licorice 
• Silky finish

"This blend has a briary array of blackberries, blueberries and plums, framed in earth and oak nuances. The palate has really succulent red-fruit flavors and a smooth, easy balance. Drink now" James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Jun 2020

"In the groove. Redcurrant and licorice flavours meet fistfuls of woodsy spice. It’s generous and well shaped; it offers both quality and value. Licks of tannin here are pretty schmick too" James Halliday, Wine Companion, Aug 2019

"A super comforting wine; the wonderfully fragrant bouquet shows dark plum, cranberry, cedar, olive and floral characters with a touch of vanilla. It is flavoursome and mouthfilling on the palate, delivering fabulous fruit purity and silky texture, making it highly appealing. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jan 2019

Bright garnet red with purple hues. Candied spice, cherry and plum, star anise and cloves with a hint of vanilla. Cherry, toffee and plum follows on the palate with a soft, full and rounded texture.

The 2018 Angove Family Crest McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre is crafted from Grenache from the sandy soils of the Swann vineyard in Blewitt Springs and the Mayfield vineyard at Sellicks Hill, Shiraz from the exposed slopes of the Willunga Creek vineyard high on the Sellicks Hills overlooking Gulf St Vincent and the sandy old vine Swann vineyard in Blewitt Springs, and Mourvèdre from the more sheltered Balanave’s vineyard also in Sellicks Hills. The perfume and richness of Blewitt Springs balancing the pepper and spice of the more southerly Sellicks vineyards.

Above average rainfall in winter and spring of the 2018 growing season filled up the soil profile with moisture and set the season up well. A hailstorm hit the region in late October but due to cooler than average temperatures in winter and spring budburst and flowering were late so most varieties were unaffected. Once the weather warmed the canopies developed well. The weather through December and January was stable and mostly dry with intermittent rain events. With a wetter season comes higher risks of disease, however good canopy management, well timed organic preventative sprays and an easing in the wet weather mid-January allowed bunches and vines to remain in pristine condition. Warm conditions in late January and early February meant that vine canopies maintained vigour and vibrancy and berry ripening happened at a rapid pace. Then the weather cooled and vintage stalled, allowing everyone to take a breath and catch up. As March came around the weather again warmed and it was game on as the fruit ripened to perfection at a steady pace and we were able to pick at perfect balance of acidity, sugar and flavour.

Each of the three varieties was picked only when they tasted absolutely perfect. Handpicked, hand sorted and then carefully crushed and destemmed, each parcel was fermented according to taste. The wines were pressed in a restored wooden basket press and allowed to mature in 2nd and 3rd use French oak puncheons and hogsheads for 9 months before the final fun stage of blending and bottling.