Shiraz from McLaren Vale in Australia: Mitolo’s 2011 Jester
I travel frequently, and yet I still want to enjoy good wine on the road. The challenge with that is expense and aging. We all know what happens in restaurants with the prices. I appreciate that everyone needs to make a living, yet sometimes the price for a nice bottle is not in the budget. Aging is a challenge, as well. Many bottles available in retail outlets are young wines and, sad to say, it is a shame to drink a wine before its time.
One of the go-to varietals for me when I am traveling is Australian Shiraz. Remember, this is the same grape as Syrah, but the Aussies and the South Africans call it Shiraz. (Let me know if you want to know the back-story as to why.) What I have found is that these young wines are approachable now and will provide great fruit and soft tannins. For me, they are quite enjoyable in the dinner setting at a restaurant. The best part of the story, though, is that many good ones are quite economical.
That was just the case the past two times I was in Kansas City. Given my predilection for down under (my mother was from Brisbane), I picked up the McLaren Vale Shiraz from Mitolo. It is called the Jester. I found it quite enjoyable with some rich blackberry flavors and some chocolate nuances. The best part – $18 a bottle. From a scoring perspective, Wine Spectator gave the 2011 88 points and the 2012 90 points. Quite frankly, I enjoyed it and would highly recommend the bottle for weekday pleasure.
McLaren Vale itself is a wine region 22 miles south of Adelaide in South Australia. It is notable for producing Shiraz, which is by far the most important varietal for the region, accounting for about 50% of the total yield. The area’s thin soils, limited water, and warm summers come together to provide for Shiraz’s natural vigor and produce intense flavored fruit, making for a wine with a deep purple color that can last decades in the bottle. McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity.
Enjoy!