Curtis Family Gladiator McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021
- 94
- $100
- Drink by: 2025-2035
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Before anyone goes all Russell Crowe, this superb McLaren Vale red is all Australian in every way (okay, a mix of French and American oak in which the wine spent three years maturing, but you know what I mean). A twenty-one day fermentation, the fruit is from 80-year-old vines. The wine is under cork. A deep crimson/red colour here, the nose exhibits warm earth notes, coffee grinds, animal skins, tobacco leaves, black olives, soy and chocolate. This is a powerful and bold wine. There is certainly oak evident and it still needs a little time to fully integrate, but it is well on its way. The palate sees sweet black cherries to the fore. A wine of medium length, good intensity and fine tannins, this will be even better in two to three years and then drink beautifully for a further decade.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
