Marsican Shiraz - 2020

An individual barrel selection approach has been taken to compose this outstanding wine. The feature is the effortless seamless palate which delivers a smooth long and intensely concentrated finish with real poise. Dark plummy black cherry, nuances emerge on the nose. The palate is not your usual plump fleshy mid-palate offering from this region. Rather, it has a slightly savoury chalky feel with a subtle dustiness creating a dry grainy finish. A cracking wine.
Ray Jordan, Winepilot, February 2024

97 Points
Gracefully opulent and seductively enticing, the wine shows dark fruit richness, cake spice, toasty oak, game and potpourri aromas on the nose. The palate exhibits exceptional weight and substance, superbly structured by layers of velvety tannins. Multi-layered and symphonic with a persistent gratifying finish. At its best: 2026 to 2042.
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, April 2024

96 Points
Made from the best barrels from the finest parcels of Shiraz. Heady aromas of tonka bean, blackberry bush, boysenberries and Hawthorn. A snip of lavender, dried rosemary and thistle. Potting soil, graphite and lead. Liquid velvet across the palate with a pull of slithering acidity and condensed flavour palate. It’s alive with black cherries and Assam tea leaf. Superbly succulent and defined. The flavour continues driving down the palate with purpose and intention. A wonderful example of McLaren Vale’s power and seduction. Drink now and will cellar 8-10 years. A worthy wine for decanting and lingering over till the wee hours. Maybe some beef brisket to tide you over. 
Shanteh Wale, Winepilot, March 2024

96 Points
One of the heavy bottle brigade – expect these to go the way of the dinosaurs as we move to a more sustainable future. In the meantime, enjoy them, especially as they so often indicate something special within. Frank Mitolo’s father, Bruno, brought the family to Australia from the Abruzzo region of Italy. The region is home to the Marsican bear, which apparently also forms the Ursa Major constellation. The wine comes from the finest barrels, new French oak hogsheads, of their McLaren Vale Shiraz, which spend 18 months maturing. Dark magenta, this is big, ripe, powerful and intense. Pretty much, the quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz. A supple, creamy texture, there are notes of mocha, chocolate, beefstock, aniseed and blackberries. Excellent length, with soft graphite-like tannins. This will provide pleasure for twenty years.
Ken Gargett, Winepilot, March 2024

95 Points
This wine doesn’t need the heavy bottle to indicate its serious intent. One taste does that. Black as midnight, deep and dense. The intense woodsy spice oak component can’t help be noticed, it has a starring role, but its purpose is clearly intended for the long journey ahead. The maker intends this Shiraz for the long haul. Therefore, drinkers need to take note and, if they can, lay it down. Marsican is a powerhouse of a wine, there are no beg leaves here, and everything is turned up a notch, amplified. Bramble, blackberry jam, cassis, star anise, earth, leather and a host of spices are positioned layer upon layer upon layer. They need time to come together.
Jeni Port, Winepilot, February 2024