Serafino Sharktooth Shiraz

"This is opulent and delicious, showing rich fruit intensity, vanillin oak, toasted spice and mocha notes on the nose, leading to a concentrated palate displaying plush texture and layers of fine tannins. Robust and structured with a sustained satisfying finish." Sam Kim

• Winery: Serafino
• Varietal: Shiraz
• Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
• Vintage: 2018
• Alcohol: 14.5%
• Volume: 750ml
• Closure: Cork
• Other: Drink now or cellar up to 2040
• Food match: Beef, Game meat, pork, spicy sausage, pizza, Roquefort/bleu-veined cheeses

Winery notes - Lifted aromatics of blackberry fruits complemented by oak nuances of mocha and spice, derived from French oak. This is a full bodied, rich and intense Shiraz with powerful red berry fruits and minted chocolate. Lifted spice intertwines with silky tannins that carry a generosity of fruit sweetness and exquisite length across the palate. The brightness of fruit is long and textured with seamless integration of oak finishing with a savoury earthy chocolate richness.

Serafino’s flagship Shiraz is bunch–thinned the best rows of fruit from their Willunga Sharktooth vineyard, named after the giant fossilised Megalodon tooth discovered there in the 1980s. This prehistoric ancestor of the Great White Shark measured some 25 metres in length.

The Serafino story began in 1964 when Steve (Serafino) Maglieri arrived in Australia from Italy as a passionate teenager full of dreams. Two years later, with the assistance of his father Giovanni, he planted his first vines in McLaren Vale that now extends to 350 acres. Laying the foundation of a winemaking dynasty that today is known as Serafino Wines and overseen by his daughter, Maria.

From the beginning, Steve and his father worked from dawn to dusk, seven days a week to produce wines of such outstanding quality. It wasn’t long before the accolades began to flow. It’s love that saw him become Australia’s "Lambrusco King" in the 1990s, branding the wine inspired in part by his homeland under his family name. Demand for Lambrusco was so high that at its peak, Steve was producing more than four million bottles a year before selling his company to Mildara Blass in 1998.

As early as 1979, Steve was crowned ‘Bushing King’ for best red wine in the McLaren Vale Wine Show – an honour he achieved again in 1992 and 2007 - while further national recognition followed in 1997 when he won the trophy for Best Shiraz in the Great Australian Wine Challenge. Numerous awards have followed including the Trophy for Best Shiraz and Red Wine of the Year at the London International Wine Challenge in 1997 and earning the Trophy for the most consistent Shiraz at the London International Wine Challenge after winning Gold in its class for five consecutive years.

Today Steve’s daughter Maria Maglieri is the driving force of Serafino Wines, forging ahead with traditional McLaren Vale varieties as well as exciting Italian-style wines such as Fiano, Lagrein, Vermentino, Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo and Primitivo plus the Spanish variety Tempranillo. Serafino’s rich Italian heritage shines through the names of many wines including Terremoto, the Italian word for ‘earthquake’ that is also a term of endearment to describe a spirited individual full of life and energy. Friends and family often refer to Steve as ‘Terremoto’.

Nowadays, Steve continues to be the face of Serafino and enjoys hosting local, national and international guests at Serafino Restaurant, and still loves checking the vines, tasting wines and lending a hand inside the winery. He is an active member in South Australia’s Italian community, and loves playing golf.

• 5 Stars - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit (2018 vintage)
• 93/100 Points - Cameron Douglas MS (2018 vintage)
• 5 Stars - The Real Review (2017 vintage)