2018 Nugan Estate Shiraz McLaren Parish Vineyard McLaren Vale South Australia 750 ml

Mollydooker’s Velvet Glove is $207. Astralis is $213. Kay Brothers Block 6 is $102.

When we think of top McLaren Vale Shiraz, we think of legends like these, and the often hefty price tags that come with them. The very best wines from Australia’s oldest and most prestigious regions typically don’t come cheap.

That’s why Nugan Estate’s 2018 McLaren Parish Vineyard Shiraz is such a tremendous value. It comes from a single, own-rooted vineyard in McLaren Vale and scored 97 points at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards, earning a Platinum Medal and outscoring much more expensive wines like Eileen Hardy ($80+) and Brothers In Arms.

This wine comes from a special vineyard planted in 1999 on its own roots, thanks to the sandy conditions here. Own-rooted vineyards are a glimpse into the 19th century, before vitis vinifera vines had to be grafted onto American rootstock (to resist pests). You’re seeing the produce of vines that are more mature and expressive than their grafted counterparts. You’re viewing the true varietal character of Shiraz without any filter.

Set in the foothills above the town of Kangarilla, McLaren Parish Vineyard has well-draining sandy soils. The site’s high altitude produces deep, dark, thick-skinned fruit and enjoys an elongated ripening period, ensuring that sugar accumulation is in line with skin maturity. Wines from this vineyard show lovely persistence and poise.

Do you remember first falling in love with a bottle of Shiraz? That beautiful, inky blackberry liqueur, the earthy, minerally bass tones, a plump, opulent palate that seemed to wrap you in a blanket and carry you through perfumes of fresh and dried black fruit for what seemed like minutes? This has it all.