2016 was a superb vintage in McLaren Vale and the resulting wines have proven to be outstanding. A warm and settled spring led to good fruit set, and a warm December started off ripening beautifully. In January we received a solid rainfall event after which the weather was mild and settled. This led to a long and leisurely ripening period.
2016 Lloyd Reserve Shiraz
This vineyard was planted in 1919 at the bottom of the hill side at Coriole. This is a very exciting release and one of the most complete and composed wines ever from this vineyard. Yields were low in 2016 and our total production was 10 barrels or 330 dozen.
A very aromatic vintage of Lloyd Shiraz showing mulberry, plum, rose perfume, sweet spice and soy. A plush and full entry that continues with dense and unfurling layers of tannin. The tannins, whilst plentiful, are fine and long giving great persistence and presence. The palate is full bodied but elegant with some dark floral notes, berries and a subtle ferrous note.
Huon Hooke – 98 points
“Deep purple/red colour, youthful and bright. The bouquet is rich ripe plummy and blackberry, plum cake and a hint of linseed (from oak?). Full-bodied, powerful, concentrated yet elegant, with beautifully-tailored tannins which are smooth and supple, the finish elegant and very long. A superb wine.”
James Halliday - 97 points
“From the 1919 estate planting, hand-picked, whole berries open-fermented, 10 days on skins, matured for 19 months in barrel and 2 years in bottle before release. An extremely focused and regal wine, its future virtually unlimited. Savoury black fruits, earth and dark chocolate are joined together at the hip, a bond that won't be broken.”
Max Allen
“Outstanding expression of modern McLaren Vale shiraz made from century-old vines. Bright, seductive blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, wrapped up in a blanket of firm but supple, well-moulded tannin. A wine destined for a long life in the cellar: the 2004 Lloyd Reserve is only just beginning to hit its straps 15 years after vintage.”
James Suckling - 94 points
“A very powerful and flavor-charged shiraz that has a wealth of rich and ripe red berries with a neatly arranged, spicy thread, too. The palate has a smooth, plush and vivid core of fresh, mulberry and plum flavor. The tannins are silky and long. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
2016 Mary Kathleen Cabernet Merlot
Our Mary Kathleen is generally sourced from the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard planted in 1986 that sits just to the side of the cellar door. Bunch weights were low in 2016 resulting in a very small yield and intensely concentrated wines.
Bright dark cherry, rosehip, cassis and dark plum. Sweet sage flower perfume and a subtle touch of nutty oak. A rich and bold entry with lashings of dark fruited flavour, blackcurrant and a little dark chocolate, the tannins are plush and lend the wine a richness and depth. Long and full flavoured, this Cabernet will cellar well for up to 20 years.
James Halliday - 95 points
“Conceived as elegant and concentrated compared to normal opulence of McLaren Vale, I'll split the difference and agree that the hallmark of the wine is concentration, indeed extreme concentration.”
2016 Vita Reserve Sangiovese
Every so often during our blind assessment tastings, a parcel of sangiovese sits up and impresses us with its intensity and complexity. Invariably the parcel is from the 1985 planting (now Australia’s oldest sangiovese vines).
We often find that when assessing all our sangiovese parcels (we have up to 20 post vintage) the sum of the parts is always a better wine than any individual component so these moments are rare.
We tasted through the barrels from this parcel and the top three were chosen for bottling, resulting in 99 dozen.
James Halliday - 96 points
"Coriole shows what sangiovese should and does look like. Medium-bodied, with a complex array of sour, red and morello cherries supported by fine, dusty tannins throughout. There's no need to look for excuses here."
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Buy the 2016 Lloyd Reserve Shiraz here
Buy the 2016 Mary Kathleen here
Buy the 2016 Vita Reserve Sangiovese here