Lot 343 | 2020 McLaren Vale Shiraz 750ml (Gold Medal)

Lot 343
2020 McLaren Vale Shiraz (Gold Medal)

Deep purple in the glass with ripe, expressive aromas of black plum, blueberry and cocoa contrast with savory notes of black pepper, bay leaf, roasted aromatic herbs and braised lamb. Dried orange peel with air. Silky and rich on entry, the wine is juicy with dried blueberries covered with dark chocolate, and complexed with the lifted notes of lavender, roasted thyme, and meaty pepper spice. Plush, juicy and generous on the mid-palate with fine mineral tannins and focused, mouthwatering acidity that extends through the silky, glycerine-like finish with a hint of roasted cocoa bean. First-class all the way and OMG good! 

Overall rating: 4.547619 / 5 from 42 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The Lot 343 2020 McLaren Vale Shiraz offers a rich, full-bodied experience with deep purple color and a delightful mix of black plum, blueberry, and cocoa flavors. Valued at $14, it's a fantastic deal considering its quality and the expertise of the fifth-generation winegrower.

Summary topics

  • Shiraz Quality: 48%
  • Flavor Profile: 11%

Review topics: ["flavor","value","price","shiraz","wine","tannins","finish","fruit","drinking","bottle","plum","spice"].

Review highlights

  • "Wine has stronger dark fruit flavors with a good balance." — Bruce C.
  • "An unusually deep, complex and balanced Shiraz!" — Phil K.
  • "A ripe and very satisfying Aussie Shiraz." — Phil K.

Reviews

Excellent Shiraz

"Rich and full-bodied, this Shiraz bursts with dark berry, plum, and peppery spice, backed by smooth tannins and a velvety finish. Bold yet balanced, with just the right touch of warmth."

— Alex L. (5/5)

Hauntingly Memorable

"This deep garnet red, opaque wine might not seem suitable for summer but it is a wildly summer delight! An opening note of lavender gives way to one of my favorite summer memories - my grandmother chopping up garden fresh rhubarb for her cherished elixir - strawberry rhubarb kompot. This is a gem of a red wine, silky with a very light dry finish. Like a fine perfume, hauntingly memorable."

— George T. (5/5)

Rated #1 at our Event

"Recently we hosted a monthly wine tasting of our local chapter of the American Wine Society. We had 19 attendees and tasted 8 wines overall. Everyone submitted a scoring sheet and Lot 343 was the #1 rated wine at the tasting. We’ve had a few attendees purchase Lot 343 since the event and today I purchase a case for myself. Very happy with this Shiraz as we’ve been with all the other wines we’ve tried from deNegoce."

— Guy M. (5/5)

Love is wine

"We first had in a mixed case then bought a full case. Very dark fruit, leather, inky bold, dry, a bit of black pepper on the nose."

— James B. (5/5)

Tastes great

"Very drinkable. You can see Is why it got a gold metal."

— Richard P. (4/5)

A fine wine

"Fine for a casual meal, goes down smoothly with hints of berry and a tantalizing aftertaste. I lean toward cab but this is a great change of pace."

— William N. (4/5)

Excellent!

"Really good bottle of Shiraz, paired very well with red meat."

— Tom P. (5/5)

Aussies know Shiraz

"This was a fantastic shiraz and gave Penfold's a run for its money!"

— Jordan V. (5/5)

Another great value Aussie from dN

"I have purchased this wine multiple times and have not been disappointed. A great daily drinker for the price which is ready to go right now."

— Michael L. (4/5)

Three-way Tie

"In a blind tasting of moderately prized Aussie Shiraz, this wine tied for first place with two other wines (one was Lot 355). Since I supplied two of the winning wines, other tasters took careful note of the labels. We ended up with a three-way tie for first because we decided that we were drinking three distinct styles of Shiraz: 1) fresh and immediately accessible, 2) full-bodied, crafted to compliment food, and 3) serious, complex, ambitious, even age-worthy. Lot 343 won in the third style. It’s a wine to savor and contemplate."

— LA P. (4/5)

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