La Curio Reserve Shiraz 2018

Curio is the brainchild of an extremely talented winemaker, Adam Hooper. Adam launched the La Curio brand in 2003 after working in the McLaren Vale region as a winemaker for a decade. Three wines were produced, a Reserve Shiraz, a Reserve Grenache and a GSM blend 'The Nubile'. It didn't take long for the wines to receive critical acclaim. The 2005 Nubile was awarded Best Rhone blend over 10 pounds in the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards and the winery was crowned winner of the 2006 McLaren Vale Small Producer trophy. 

"The fruit for the 2018 La Curio Reserve Shiraz was sourced from some of the best old planting Shiraz sites in McLaren Vale. The average vine age is 80 years, the oldest plantings are 120 years old. What a beautiful wine. The palate is beautifully balanced, alive with an array of delicious purple and black fruits framed by quality oak and supple tannins. Seduction in a red wine glass that invites you to have a second, a third, and a fourth glass. It caresses the mouth and sings from start to finish. A must buy for lovers of full-bodied South Australian Shiraz."  Nick Munday

"The Reserve Shiraz is made with a minimal intervention approach, retaining and enhancing the natural expression of the fruit. Barrel fermentation and extended lees contact have however been employed to create further curiosity. Small batch, 1 tonne open fermenters were used for vinification allowing us to maintain and develop the unique character of each vineyard. The ferments last up to 14 days, producing wines of intense colour and flavour whilst still supple in tannin. The wines are pressed into a combination of new to four year old French and American oak hogsheads to mature for eighteen months.    

Aromas of stewed fruits, liquorice and blackberries dominate the nose. Chocolate and clove notes complex with the  oak. The palate delivers a generous weight of plum, licorice and dark chocolate with hints of black pepper spice. A full bodied wine with supple consistency and solid structure."  La Curio

Expert reviews

"From 100 year old vines, small batch fermented, basket-pressed, matured in new and used French and American hogsheads for 18 months. What a beautiful wine. A sumptuous, highly perfumed bouquet of ripe but not heavy fruit, spices and oak. The palate is beautifully balanced, alive with an array of delicious purple and black fruits framed by quality oak and supple tannins. Seduction in a red wine glass that invites you to have a second, a third, and a fourth glass. It caresses the mouth and sings from start to finish."  Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines - 97 points and Special Value Wine  ★ 

Awards

Special Value Wine – Canterbury Wines  ★

About the winery

La Curio is the brainchild of an extremely talented winemaker, Adam Hooper. Adam launched the La Curio brand in 2003 after working in the McLaren Vale region as a winemaker for a decade. Three wines were produced, a Reserve Shiraz, a Reserve Grenache and a GSM blend 'The Nubile'. It didn't take long for the wines to receive critical acclaim. The 2005 Nubile was awarded Best Rhone blend over 10 pounds in the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards and the winery was crowned winner of the 2006 McLaren Vale Small Producer trophy. 

Adam has also worked vintages in the Abruzzi and Puglia regions of Italy and in the Provence and the Ardèche regions of France. These stints kindled his interest in alternative grape varieties and the La Curio portfolio has grown to include 'The Original Zin' Primitivo and the 'New World Order' Sangiovese. 

Small parcels of grapes are sourced from old, low yielding vineyards in McLaren Vale. Many of these vineyards are unirrigated bush vines over 100 years of age. Adam uses the high quality, low yielding fruit to produce unique and stunning wines. Innovative and cutting edge winemaking techniques are used including extreme cold soak must ferments, use of carbonics, and extended post ferment macerations. Wines are aged in a combination of new and aged French & American oak prior to final blending. 

Brilliant packaging completes the picture. The logo on the labels of the La Curio wines features a pair of figure of eight handcuffs. This style of handcuffs was often used by Harry Houdini at the turn of the century to perplex and challenge his competitors. 

"I became interested in wine at a very early age and have half fond memories as a child of being taken by my father and uncle to cellar doors in McLaren Vale and being allowed to have the odd sip of a fortified and entertaining myself by throwing rocks in the car parks. By the age of fourteen I went and did a couple of weeks work experience at Hanging Rock Winery in Mt Macedon in Victoria and I had an inkling that this could be the career choice for me. I liked the concept of some science, physical work which got the hands dirty and the social and sales side of wine.

At the tender age of 17, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Oenology at Roseworthy College. I have worked for thirty years now in McLaren Vale for such notable companies as Geoff Merrill Wines, Tatachilla Winery, Maxwell Wines and Redheads Studio as well as vintage jaunts in Italy and France. I started La Curio 19 years ago - a boutique wine brand with a focus on old plantings of Shiraz and Grenache. In recent years I have enjoyed also crafting small cuvee's of Primitivo and Sangiovese as part of the La Curio stable, as well as consulting on a larger scale to a number of clients. I hope that you enjoy these rare and beautiful wines."  Adam Hooper