“Bigger than life, bold, rich, but beautifully linear and precise wines.” - Robert Parker

He wrote that in the early days of Shirvington. And thus began their rapid ascent to stardom. Shortly thereafter, a case of Shirvington Shiraz sold for $3,042 at auction (source Wine Spectator, Jun 15, 2004 issue).

Fast forward, and The Buffalo News came out with this glowing article, “A slow road to success? Not for Paul and Lynne Shirvington. Their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2001 was named ‘Wine of the Year’ at the McLaren Vale Wine Show. The following vintage, the Shiraz was rated 99 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Since then, no Shirvington wine has received less than 90 from Parker. Talk about a meteoric rise to fame. How did they do it? ‘It’s the soil,’ Paul said during a recent Annapolis visit. ‘And the love,’ his son Mark, one of two sons to work at Shirvington, quickly added.”

Continuing that “Cabernet and Shiraz are the only two wines they make, and the Shirvingtons don’t intend to change that. Both wines come from single vineyards and command prices of more than $60 a bottle. What we tasted was well worth the price… We loved these wines, but expect to pay handsomely for them - if you can even find them. So goes glory.”

Wait, what?

All you can buy Cult Shiraz at $25 a bottle??!!

Well, so goes Wine Spies. That’s how we do!

Mind you, the style is a Cab-lover’s Shiraz. Utterly balanced, intense yet weightless, ethereally delicious, deep, and complex. Don’t let that colorful package and screwcap fool you. What’s inside is serious, with a captivating nose of a freshly-picked basket of red and black berries, drizzled with a balsamic glaze and a generous twist of the Tellicherry peppermill. Coats the mouth with velvety tannins and a fair tweak of sweet toast from the lavish oak, all accentuated by gobs of fruit, delivered in elegance and grace. What’s a better pairing than smoked meats, either dry-rubbed or drenched in your favorite barbecue sauce?

Did we mention 2/3 OFF people?! Inventory is already burning up, no doubt. Get some!

94 Points – The Tasting Panel

“Lush nose of fruit and spice; polished, intense, and quite lovely, with pure, succulent flavors of blackberry and plum and good length and balance.”