Mitolo Jester McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018 (Australia)

Description

• Subtle oak spice
• Blackberry & mulberry
• Dried crushed herb
• Velvety tannins

Deeply coloured and beautifully purple red colour in the glass. Bright red fruit and fresh cut herbs, pure blackberry, mulberry, cassis, sits well with more savoury liquorice and choc mint, subtle smoky and spicy oak. Supple and tightly wound juicy raspberry and satsuma plum flavours fill the mouth initially, framed perfectly by gentle but just there velvety tannins, and complemented by a more serious olive tapenade, dried crushed herb finish. This is a juicy and moreish wine that also has a serious side. Cellar two to six years.

A lot of love goes into the Mitolo wines, and the Jester Shiraz is no exception. The vineyards for the Jester Shiraz are located at the southern end of McLaren Vale, close to the seaside town of Aldinga. The combination of cool sea breezes and gully winds provide ideal conditions for growing fruit of intensity and balance. The vines sit in heavy clay, which gives the wine powerful dark fruit flavours. Full flavoured, with dark fruits and savoury black olive characters, and soft, silky tannins.

Conditions were much drier compared to the previous wet and fertile growing season, which prevented any excessive vigour or disease issues. Average winter rainfall provided good soil moisture to commence the growing season. Spring rainfall was below average, whilst Summer was unusually dry, but free from damaging heat waves. Favourable daytime temperatures and cool nights in February and March led to perfect conditions at picking. The wines of the vintage stand out for their purity, power and balance. Jester Shiraz fruit is crushed immediately after being delivered to us at the winery. We allow the skin and juice mix to warm naturally over a period of several days, after which it begins fermentation. The ferment is held cool, to retain the bright primary fruit characters which appear in the resulting wine. Following ferment, we carefully press the wine to separate it from the skins. The wine is then transferred into oak barrels where it stays for twelve months before bottling.

The Jesters of the Courts of Europe had one motivation, to entertain the household of a nobleman and his guests. The Jester, a modern day entertainer, is exactly that. Able to excite and tell stories at any dinner table, they are the life of the party. They waiver from fits of laughter, to being somewhat risqué and suggestive. Ultimately, they are there to remind us not to take life too seriously. They gather friends around regularly to eat and drink well, as they of course are the instigator of such frivolity. 

Food Pairing: Braised Rabbit Pappardelle.