Mitolo Marsican Shiraz 2020
- 96
- $250
- Drink by: 2024-2044
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One of the heavy bottle brigades – expect these to go the way of the dinosaurs as we move to a more sustainable future. In the meantime, enjoy them, especially as they so often indicate something special within. Frank Mitolo’s father, Bruno, brought the family to Australia from the Abruzzo region of Italy. The region is home to the Marsican bear, which apparently forms the Ursa Major constellation. The wine comes from the finest barrels, new French oak hogsheads, of their McLaren Vale Shiraz, which spend 18 months maturing. Dark magenta, this is big, ripe, powerful, intense and, pretty much, the quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz. A supple, creamy texture, there are notes of mocha, chocolate, beefstock, aniseed and blackberries. Excellent length, with soft graphite-like tannins, this will provide pleasure for twenty years.
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.
