Coates ‘The Gimp’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021 is a black‑hearted, broody beast – rich, dark‑fruited and spice‑laden, but still carrying that Coates balance of savoury detail and structure so it’s more than just a big, boozy red. It’s the hedonistic, full‑throttle end of the Coates Shiraz spectrum, built for cool nights and serious red‑meat sessions.

In the glass, The Gimp Shiraz 2021 shows a dark core of black fruits – blackberry, plum and mulberry – wrapped in exotic spice, game, undergrowth and new leather. The palate delivers plush, brooding dark fruit framed by nutmeg, cedar and liquorice, with a lush, curvy body, warm but integrated alcohol and ample tannin to give it shape; it’s rich and intense, yet still recognisably McLaren Vale rather than caricature.

From an Adelaide sommelier’s angle, Coates ‘The Gimp’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021 is made for char‑grilled ribeye, lamb shanks, BBQ brisket and deeply savoury braises, plus hard cheeses and smoky, paprika‑leaning dishes. It’ll give plenty of pleasure now, but it’s also the kind of wine you can happily lock in a cool, dark cellar for a few years and let that game, earth and leather really unfold.