Mitolo "GAM" Shiraz McLaren Vale 2006

Purple/red.

Interesting nose - chocolate cake frosting, deep black fruit and a hint of meat, licorice too. Well-integrated. Very similar to the Godolphin, but no powder here. Same winemaker.

Round, suave entry gradually reveals acid-edged structure. Flavors follow nose reasonably closely, but there's a citrus (orange zest) undertone that builds. Highly unusual for this area, in my experience. Quite lively in the mouth, as a result, and lean. In fact, the finish is dominated by orange zest flavor and its corresponding acid-chew mouthfeel. Cooler, uneven vintage?

This will be interesting to follow.

Day 3 - More integrated, seamless nose. Very attractive. Creamy, packed in the mouth, no heat. Citrus slides into the picture, gradually, then takes over the finish. I like this stuff. I imagine we will ultimately see a pepper character complementing the citrus component. Citrus and pepper - the yin and yang of the wine world.

Day 8 - Typical southern Aussie Shiraz cream nose. Some mint and pepper too. Round packed and sumptuous (still). Just a hint of oxidation in the finish.

$45