Ulithorne ‘Dona’ Shiraz Grenache 2018
- 92
- $27
- Drink by: 2022-2028
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This blend is heavily Shiraz dominant (90% Shiraz with 10% Grenache). The grapes are sourced from a single vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, where the soil is ‘sand over clay’. The winemaking was done by separate small batch ferments with 15 days on skins, before pressing directly to French and American barrels and hogsheads and then a further year in barrel for maturation, before bottling.
An appealing maroon in colour, this is a deeper, more burly and intense style with fuller flavours than the ‘Dona’ GSM (the fact that they are from different vintages might also contribute to this). Black fruits, leather, cloves and chocolate to the fore here. Good concentration, firm tannins and excellent length. More licorice notes emerged on the palate and especially black cherry notes. Delicious now, but it really needs four to six years to really peak. Good luck keeping your hands off it.
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.
