2020 Mitolo Shiraz Angela McLaren Vale 750 ml

Ben Glaetzer’s winemaking talent runs in his blood. His German ancestors settled in Australia’s cool-climate Barossa Valley in the late 19th century, becoming some of the earliest recorded winegrowers in the area. Ben took over the Glaetzer and Amon-Ra brands from his father in the early 2000s, and in 2001, he joined forces with Frank Mitolo as a partner and winemaker in Mitolo.

In 2005, Robert Parker named him Wine Personality of The Year, calling him “a serious talent who has exploded on the wine scene with a brilliant array of wines.” 

Mitolo is a joint venture between Glaetzer and Frank Mitolo, which was founded in 1999. Part of the winery’s Small Batch Series—therefore a special 1,500-case lot—the fruit for the 2020 Angela comes from a vineyard called “Sandra’s Block,” located on the southern section of McLaren Vale, not far from the oceanside town of Willunga. The soils here are rocky and free-draining, with vines over 30 years old that give small-berried grapes of great concentration.

We already knew Mitolo’s stellar reputation, and when we tasted this stunner at our tasting panel, it was an immediate yes: a slam-dunk crowd-pleaser for our members, from an A-list talent. Boasting aromas of candied plums, crushed blueberries, cracked black pepper, dried thyme, and toasted anise, it’s plush and open on the palate, with mixed berries, brown-butter sage, espresso beans, and lavender. Super-expressive and lively with loads of concentrated fruit—the perfect cellar-defender to pop without guilt whenever guests drop by.