Curtis Family Vineyards Cavaliere Shiraz 2016

Curtis have been making wine in McLaren Vale since 1973. The family history in winemaking stretches back to Italy, where in 1499 Paolo Curtis was charged by the Cardinal de Medici with looking after the papal lands around Cervaro, including the establishment of vineyards and olive groves. The family still farms in the area today. Part of the family moved to Australia and began making wine in McLaren Vale in the 1970’s. They draw on some serious old vine resources, with Shiraz plantings 60 years of age and Grenache vines a century old in the mix and forming the backbone of the wines we stock from them. We’re definitely overdue a feature on Curtis Family Vineyards as we’ve been stocking their wines for the last 5 years and have been seeing quality improve year on year. We started with

Within the mixed dozen I purchased was the McLaren Vale Cavalier Curtis Shiraz and due to it’s rrp I was saving it for a special occasion. It is a tidy number, deep plum in colour with forest berries on the nose and palate. It is a very well structured, balanced wine with fine tannins and there is generous mulberry, blackberry and raspberry character. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but I have fallen into the habit of wanting something different; something punchy, surprising, delicate or simply great bang for buck. It is a lovely wine reminding me of the late 90s when I was fully into big regional varieties. If you happen to have a bottle within a dozen purchase, double decant it and see if it does a little more than I thought I did.