Mention McLaren Vale reds and the Pavlov Dog in me begins to salivate at the expectation of juicy ripe red berries, bold fruit and a lingering sweetness at the back. So, you can imagine my surprise when I ripped the Stelvin from a bottle of the Rosemount Estate GSM 2012 and found it nothing like their typical fare!
The colour in the glass was as deep a purple hue as you’d expect from a McLaren Vale red, but absent were the stewed plum nose and the heavy (mouth blowing) palate weight that we so often see in wines from the region.
Perhaps it’s because winemaker, Matt Koch, has made the Grenache grape a dominant player (71%), but the fruit is neither red nor black and there are softer earthy sage spiced savoury characters across the palate. While the Mourvèdre (10%) provides a firm backbone and a touch of tannin, the Shiraz (19%) has seemingly little influence other than to fill out the mid palate in an arousing (if not sensual) kind of way.
It’s definitely the supporting type of red that won’t overshadow the food or overstimulate the palate and at less than $40.00 a bottle, it’s fair value too. Not a typical McLaren Vale red, but thoroughly enjoyable anyway.
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