Marius Wines Shiraz Simpatico McLaren Vale

Screwcap, 14.5% alc. Strong, dark, red. Iron, Wet rocks, blackcurrant, cherry, dusty, wooden chest, chocolate, leather, and bacon fat. There’s a real brightness to the fruit when given air. Plentiful chalky tannins still provide grip. Even, controlled wine. Decent length. A slight for formic note. The oak always makes itself known, though I’d say it’s in balance with the fruit.

Screwcap, 14.5% alc. Rich colour. Blackberry, plum, iron, rocks, chocolate, and an appropriate seasoning of oak. Nice tertiary notes of bacon fat, fennel, and Italian herbs. Shows some age on the palate, which is as much about tertiary flavours as it is about fruit. Controlled, even flow in the mouth. Medium-full fruit weight that carries reasonably long on the sandy tannin finish. A little alcohol pokes through, and perhaps a touch too much oak are the only quibbles. Improves on …

Superb wine with some now noticeable age and tertiary characters. Drink over next 2-3 years.

Screwcap, 14.5% alc. Very dark crimson-red. Italianate nose of savoury blackberry, cherry, iron, gravel, with a dollop of McLaren Vale chocolate for good measure. Beautifully balanced and integrated palate. Very fine tannins, and a long, clean finish. Opinion: Not a lot of secondary development since the last bottle, however the fruit and tannin has softened. Whilst enjoyable, I recall greater satisfaction a few years back. Perhaps this won’t make old bones, and might have been better in its first ten …

Perfect bottle and best yet. Still youthful and lively but carrying the 10 years age with integrated fruit, oak and super fine tannin. Just a very enjoyable wine. Exceptional now but should still have some time to continue developing.

Screwcap. Strong aromas of choc-coated raspberries. Graphite tannin. Fruits starts to dissipate after day 2. At its peak now? In a nice place, with risk of drying out if left too much longer. More developed since last consumed, whence it looked rather young.

Juicy blackberry and black currant flavours, but not jammy. There's also a hint of dark olives and a bit of spice. Medium finish and medium body. Very enjoyable.

In a great spot now. Has an elegance that many McLaren Vale reds lack. Paired very nicely with a steak but lovely to sit and contemplate without food too.

Such a good wine for the money. Gentle development, though still rich and spicy. No hurry.

Probably suffered a bit in being served after the 2 preceding Marius wines. That's not to say it isn't a great wine - it certainly is. But tonight it's just not quite as good as the Symphony or the EndPlay. Dark fruits, chocolate and even a little aniseed mesh well with the oak. Probably would have benifitted from a few hours in the decanter to help it unwind a little. Getting towards being full bodied I found this more of …

Great wine in the zone, lovely length and balance, no rush, another 3 - 5 yrs

Bloody lovely. Rich dark fruits, beautifully balanced oak. Everything coming together and in a very good place. No rush though.

Straight from opening this was remarkably youthful with muscly blackberry and mulberry fruit, with lovely milk chocolate and spice notes. The fruit and chocolate flavours both darkened with breathing, but the length was impeccable. Still improving after 2 hours in the decanter (as the last disappeared), this is yet to reach its peak. Excellent.