Mitolo McLaren Vale Lupo Shiraz 2020

A step up from the trad Shiraz style, one that is fine-featured and under-stated in youth, but remains pretty much in building mode. You can almost see the building blocks of development in motion: the quiet, spice-laden fruit, the firm tannins, the inky astringency to close. It’s all here, both for now – and I would enjoy it right now – or later. Blackberry, cassis, briar, blackstrap liquorice and relatively modest oak are lifted by a leafy, autumnal earthiness. Remains firm, keeping things tight.