I like many of Coriole’s wines. Their Chenin is worthwhile, the Italian varieties even more-so (although I’m yet to taste the Sagrantino, which is a shame as I love the grape and think it is suited to McLaren Vale), but the flagships leave me cold. Too missionary position and too much oak. They’re built to last, I know – although you can can make ageworthy wine without truckloads of wood – and the oak will integrate further with time…but you’ll always taste its presence, hanging heavy in the air.
And this is thick with oak. Creamy, mocha stuff. It coats every last inch of the full-bodied jammy berry and plum fruit and leaves behind a trail of grainy, splinter-filled tannin. It’s on the Langton’s Classification list so people buy it. I wouldn’t. 88 Good
Region: McLaren Vale
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $85
Tasted: October 2012
Most often very good with bottle age, often so without. V2009 not a high point for them mind you.
I’ve only had small tastes of the Lloyd in poor settings (ie trade tastings) before but I really struggled with this release. It’s not my style admittedly, so I tried to achieve a degree of balance with my score. There were a couple of bottles with age, free to pour when I was last in McLaren Vale, but unfortunately the bottle I poured from was corked.