Christopher Burr, MW reviews:
Updated 26/07/2024
The Black Stump range of wines are a premium range from the hugely successful Casella family, who emigrated to South Australia from Sicily in the late 1960's. They had been making wine since the 1820's and have gone on to set up one of the most successful wine businesses in Australia. Now exported all around the World, this wine is a good example of what Australia can produce in skilful hands.
I suppose it is not surprising that this wine has the rich weight (14.5%) and intensity, ripe round voluptuous fruit and a spicy finish, when it comes from a Sicilian family. It is like an Aussie expression of a big southern Italian wine.
The great red grape of the vineyards around Adelaide is of course Shiraz, which interestingly was imported from the Rhone as Syrah in the 1800's. When the cuttings first came for propagation from Sydney, the handwriting was misread as Shiraz!
Black Stump is a blend of Shiraz from the cooler Clare Valley, which retains nice fresh acidity, with the rich warmth and spiciness of the warmer McLaren Vale to the south of Adelaide.
This is a wine for those who like rich, gutsy flavours and is ideal for a cold winter's day with a hearty stew.
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