Ulithorne ‘Dona’ McLaren Vale GSM 2019

Sourced from a single vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, where the soil is ‘sand over clay’. The team made the decision to crush the Shiraz, but the Grenache was included as whole bunches. The split is 35% Grenache, 33% Shiraz and 32% Mourvèdre. The juice spent 12 days on skins, before pressing directly to American and French barrels and hogsheads, and then a further twelve months barrel maturation.

Deep red, there are notes of strawberries and other red fruits. There is a lovely creamy coffee character to all this. Attractive florals. A mid-weight style, which is carried by some fresh underlying acidity, this seems to be very much Grenache-dominant at the moment. Time might see the other grapes contribute as well. A lighter, fresher style of GSM, which is delicious. Good value.