The 13’ was a winner here at the warehouse, and the 2014 vintage looks like its going to blow its predecessor out of the water. Excellent colour, deep red and purple, and the smell is all blue, red and purple fruits, dense, dark and ripe. Intense and kind of brooding too - there's some seriousness mixed in with all that brightness here. The flavour deals out a similarly big flavour, all ripe, intense, tightly packed dark fruits with the barest dusting of spice. The texture is almost hedonistic, velvety and plush, with smooth, fine tannins with sweeter fine berries pushing along the finish.
ACCOLADES FOR 2013 VINTAGE: James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion: 93 "Wild crimson-purple; the first whiff screams McLaren Vale with dark chocolate, licorice and black and red fruits leaping from the glass; better still is its vibrant mouthfeel, red fruits now framed by fine, savoury tannins. Ready now although will hold."
Jeremy Pringle, Wine Will Eat Itself: 90 The quality to price ratio is good here. Not a bad way to get your Vale Shiraz fix without breaking the bank. The Alice in Wonderland/Surrealist label will probably attract a few more buyers as well. A smidgen of mocha and vanilla oak creaminess smooths out blackberries, mulberry, liquorice and plums with regional milk chocolate notes in tow. Has substance and presence without being cumbersome or over the top. Grainy tannin roughs up a dry finish pleasantly enough. Best with a decant if you have at it now.
Campbell Mattinson: (2012) The Primrose Path was founded by leading McLaren Vale wine grower Jim Zerella and Nicholas Crampton to create modern and exciting wines that showcase this amazing region. It’s grown in the Seaview sub-region on mature (30 years plus) vines. It’s a bright, fruit-driven, solid red of decent value. Blackberried fruit notes with coal and earth-like notes in support. Pretty straight-forward. It could do with a few more months in bottle but generally it will be best consumed over the short to medium term.
Don't Pay: $21.00
WBW Rating: 94/100
Closure: Stelvin
Region: McLaren Vale, SA
Winemaker: Jim Zerella
Drink now until: 2022
Alc/Vol: 14.5 %
