The new faces behind the Curtis Family Vineyards are Mark, Thomas & Jenna Curtis, with the guidance of their father, Claudio Curtis who lives on the vineyard just outside McLaren Vale. The name Curtis is thought to derive from Curtius, a noble and wealthy family of the First and Second Centuries AD, the Roman Empire era originating from the Latinium people. 

This is not my favourite label, but that might simply be because the old eyes are not what they once were and the black on black make it difficult to read. I may not be a fan of the label but I am most definitely a fan of the wine. Dark magenta, there is oodles of chocolate here, with mocha, coffee beans and more dark chocolate. A flick of vanilla, with soy and aniseed. There is already some early complexity. The wine has very good length and lingers with intent. Like this wine a lot. It is well balanced, full of flavour and utterly delicious. Drink over the next six to eight years and forget the label. Date: Aug 2023; Drink: 2023-2031; Price: $25.00; Rating: 94 Points; Ken Gargett

A supple fruit driven McLaren Vale Shiraz from a pretty good year. Loaded with juicy ripe plummy fruit with a little lift of raspberry. The palate is soft and supple with neatly integrated oak and fine chalky tannins in support. This is a super value red wine for drinking over the next few years, while it retains those vibrant primary fruit flavours. Date: Mar 2023; Drink: 2023-2029; Price: $25.00; Rating: 91 Points; Ray Jordan