4/15/2015 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Quite ripe but enjoyable Barossa Shiraz. Still with time on it's side and offers considerable dark fruit, fine tannins and a lick of oak. Decent.

4/15/2015 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Stunning wine. Just starting to show some secondary characteristics. This is ageing perfectly under screw cap and should only get better for the next few years and then hold for a while.

4/15/2015 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Was not as impressed with this as I thought I would be. Have read many excellent reviews of this and maybe it suffered a bit because of the quality of the wines drank before it. I found it a little party or stewed which is unusual for Barossa in 2004. Maybe it was just the very sweet oak that was out of balance, but it didn't hit the spot for me. Still has massive fruit and tannins to suggest a long life ahead.

4/15/2015 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Excellent wine that still needs at least 5 years before hitting it's straps. One of the better 2002's from SA.

4/15/2015 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Stunning example of Barossa GSM. Ageing beautifully and should for a few years yet.

11/16/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Still a pup and it really needs another 5-10 years. It was still very good and spent 12 hours in the decanter. Still quite tightly coiled and on the nose there was a distinctive note of mint/menthol. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would and it reaffirmed my decision to get on the mailing list and purchase the wines. Colour looked like a current vintage wine and was still ultra bright. The wine had good balance and was on the big side of medium bodied. With plenty of swirling by the end of the night it was trying to open up but I suspect I should have decanted it the night before.

11/16/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Only one word for this - Big! Like the Wendouree, the colour was so youthful. Just a big, slap you in the face fruit bomb. Oak only plays a minor role and the fruit is the star attraction. Even at 16% alcohol there was little to no heat at all. Like the colour, the wine is still youthful and has the tannin stucture to only get better. Not one for Pinot lovers or the anti RPJ set, but if you like them big, get onto this.

11/16/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Still has time on it's side but as this was a wedding present we had always intended to drink it on our 10th anniversary. It didn't let us down and was a pleasure to drink. Not as powerful as some of the better vintage Grange's but still excellent. The tannins were beautiful and still shows plenty of primary fruit along with chocolate, spice and tobacco. So well balanced and yes, it does deserve it's spot at the pinnacle of Australian Wine as it's so consistently good, but it doesn't warrant it's price tag for me.

11/16/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

This was a bit of a step up from the Moppa Springs. Brighter in colour, it was also fresher as well. Much better than the 2003 we had at an offline earlier this year and I guess that would be down to the better vintage. Silken tannins and still plenty of red and black fruit poking through. Best Nine Popes I've had and a couple thought it WOTN.

11/16/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Absolutely stunning wine that is only going to get better. Peaches, fig, citrus and that lovely buttery oak make this my favourite Chardonnay by a mile. Not as good as the 2001 but still exceptional.

11/6/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Amazing wine. In perfect condition, cork stained about half way up though it came out quite easily. Still has good colour and the nose was incredible. These old Henschke's are just a delight to drink.

11/6/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Good wine but no way near as good as what I believe is the benchmark Sparkling Red - Rockford Black Shiraz. Apparantly has Wendouree fruit in it.

8/1/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Opened a bit tight but once decanted and given some air it was OK. Still needs more time though. Typical Barossa Cabernet flavours and oak is not overbearing at all. Nice bright colour and only just starting to show some aged characteristics. Silken tannins. Decent wine but nothing special.

8/9/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Great for what I paid for it. Nice wine that improves in the glass over time. A bit meaty and fruit takes time to get out. Also a little savoury as well. Drink over the next 3 to 4 years.

7/29/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Consistant with my last note. Nice wine.

7/21/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Ohh, the nose..... Magnificent on the nose, sweet red fruit and a touch of spice. The palate got better and better as it breathed more. So so elegant for a Grenache and silken tannins. Drink to 2019.

7/29/2014 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Bit oak dominant on night one but on night two the fruit had started to show. It ended up being a wonderful drop with lots of dark fruits and chocolate, silky smooth tannins and sweet oak. Will only get better and for the vintage - an excellent wine.

2/27/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Getting better and better. Wish I had more

2/3/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Wonderful wine that is just packed full of flavour. Lashings of fruit and chocolate with a touch of tar. Smooth and just a hint of heat but it doesn't take too much away from the wine at all. Really enjoyed by all at the table and actually went quite well with BBQ'd Pork Ribs. Will be even better in years to come, quite happy I still have a 6 pack left.

3/5/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Still has incredible colour. Quite a big wine for a Moppa. Has years ahead of it.

3/5/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

So much better than a bottle had 2 years ago. Lovely nose. All primary fruit pretty much gone. Lovely secondary flavours. Balance is excellent. Finishes a tad short but shows how good Basket Press is, even in the lesser vintages. I wouldn't hold these too much longer.

1/9/2014 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Corked and replaced by John Duval with current vintage

1/31/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Wonderful wine that is just packed full of flavour. Lashings of fruit and chocolate with a touch of tar. Smooth and just a hint of heat but it doesn't take too much away from the wine at all. Really enjoyed by all at the table and actually went quite well with BBQ'd Pork Ribs.

1/24/2014 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Lovely wine Still has bright colour. Black and red fruits, silken tannins and the fruit and oak are in total balance. Quality wine in a good vintage, but amazing considering the average quality of a lot of '03's from SA. Good for a few more years yet.

12/1/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Very Pinot like nose with lovely florals and Cherry and blackcurrant. Palate delivers in spades as well. Black fruits with some nice 5 spice and silken tannins. I reckon Halliday gets his ratings wrong (too higher points) on a regular basis but he gave this a 97 and on the nose I can see why. This will age but I don't think the rest of my 6 pack will see it's peak as I just enjoyed this so much as it is now.

12/1/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Nice wine. A bit savoury at first with a bit of funk that blows off. Alcohol not really an issue but the red and black fruits may just be a tad cooked. But it doesn't take away from the end product too much and it only got better the longer it was in the glass. Great VFM and a more than reasonable quaffer.

11/16/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Nine Popes used to be a must buy every year for me but in recent years I've preferred the Richileu, so my money has gone there instead. This showed quite well but was just swallowed by the wines that followed. It's in a good spot but I can't see it getting any better so if you have some I'd suggest to drink up. The colour is starting to fade a bit and it's on the light side of medium bodied. One thing that did strike me was the overall balance of the wine. Everything seemed to be where it should be. But this seemed to dull the wine a tad and it's certainly not an overly complex wine. Easy drinking and to be honest, there really is better value elsewhere in the GSM department. Still, I really enjoyed it.

11/16/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

In my mind there is only one word for this - Stunning! Both this and the Simpatico we had next are from the same single vineyard. The Symphony gets the best grapes from the best part of the vineyard. Dark brooding fruit interlaced with sweet oak and super fine tannins. Still a bright colour and just starting to show a few aged characteristics. Dark chocolate lays beneath the fruit. The End Play and this really blew me away with the depth of flavour, but also the way it just glides over the palate. Exceptional wine and incredible VFM. Don't tell Roger but this wouldn't be out of place beside wines costing much, much more. My WOTN and also the groups as well.

11/16/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Probably suffered a bit in being served after the 2 preceding Marius wines. That's not to say it isn't a great wine - it certainly is. But tonight it's just not quite as good as the Symphony or the EndPlay. Dark fruits, chocolate and even a little aniseed mesh well with the oak. Probably would have benifitted from a few hours in the decanter to help it unwind a little. Getting towards being full bodied I found this more of a bruiser than the Symphony.

11/16/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Still quite light in colour and showing no real signs of falling over. I've had a bottle of this every year for the last 3 years and it really isn't moving much. Lovely creamy, nutty notes and considerable length. Nick commented that it had a bit of banana on the nose and he was spot on.

11/13/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

I just love this wine. It's everything I enjoy about Barossa Grenache. This wine hasn't budged since my last note.

11/11/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Took a while to open up but once it did it proved to be a decent wine. Black fruits and sweet oak on the nose, the palate followed suit. Tannins were a little pronounced but acceptable. The most impressive thing about it is the colour, still so bright. Incredible for a 13 tear old wine.

10/10/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

We had this with a seafood stew and it actually worked really well. It's in a spot that I love a Chardonnay to be in. Nutty and creamy, this is magic for the vintage.

10/8/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

No change from my notes of 6 months ago. Super wine.

11/5/2012 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Another Single Vineyard from the Light Pass region of the Barossa. Almost 100 year old vines and 100% new French oak for 24 months. Not as good as the Grenache but still an acceptable drink. Quite oak dominant and I'm hoping with a few more years bottle age, the fruit will start to get a look in. It's quite obvious that there is high quality fruit there, it's just that the equally high quality oak, is overpowering at the moment.

11/5/2012 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Wow, this was a surprise. According to the label it comes from a single vineyard in Light Pass that is approx 100 years old. Aged in 1 year old French oak for 24 months, this wine is everything I love about Barossa Grenache. Some fruit sweetness and toasty oak form a very well balanced wine that doesn't suffer at all from it's very high alcohol. I actually really rate the '07 Grenache vintage in the Barossa. I've had a few now that are excellent and seem to defy the so called poor vintage. Needs time to breathe as well.

10/27/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Fairly inoffensive wine that hasn't moved much since my last bottle and I very much doubt it will get any better. Lots of black fruits with the viogner hard to pick. Oak is in the background and the tannins are quite supple. Good quaffer.

11/1/2013 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Another fantastic Margaret River Chardonnay. In a lovely spot right now and has maybe, just maybe, has started it's downward slide. Fruit is still hanging in there and the buttery, nutty oak is not overdone at all, it's just right. Really enjoyed this a lot.

11/2/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Lovely wine still showing strong colour. Great nose of dark fruits, coconutty oak and some chocolate and liquorice to boot. Palate did show a touch of heat but it didn't bother us at all and the balance of the wine is good. Dark fruits are the main attraction and there is no shortage of primary fruit still going strong. Will keep on going for a while yet and considering the vintage, an excellent wine.

11/1/2013 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Nice pinot nose but the palate wasn't near as good. Had reasonable colour but it was a bit all over the place. It did get better with a couple of hours of breathing and I'll leave my last bottle of this for a couple more years in the hope that it improves, because at the moment - I'm not a fan at all.

9/14/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Stunning for such a young wine. I normally like Shiraz with a bit more age on them but this was exceptional. Well balanced, fruit forward with nice supporting oak and fine tannins.

10/19/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Also in a good place right now. Starting to show a few secondary characteristics. Plenty of fruit still there but just starting to fade. Dark fruits, fine tannins and reasonable length. Went really well with Steak Diane. Should hold for a while longer.

10/19/2013 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Stunning wine that is right in it's window. Black fruits, particularly Blackcurrant, some chocolate, quality oak, supple tannins and long finish. Still has good bright colour and should hold for a while yet.

7/4/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

In a great spot now and holding well. Right at that point where it is showing some aged secondary characteristics but still plenty of fruit weight. Really good.

9/24/2012 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Potential plus. Will go for another 5 to 10. Needs time.

9/24/2012 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

At it's peak. Nice

8/24/2012 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Great VFM wine and we really enjoyed this for a cheapie.

6/24/2013 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Did improve a tad on night 2 but a bit of a plain Jane wine that did little to excite. That's not to say that it is a poor wine, it just lacked a bit compared to may other TCE wines.

7/11/2013 - ticklenow1 wrote:

Probably the first cheap French wine that I've actually really enjoyed. It's nothing too serious but it's light to medium bodied and really easy to drink.

7/6/2013 - ticklenow1 Likes this wine:

Value for money, this is awesome. When the chains are discounting this it is a steal. Ageing really well and should only get better in time. Still quite youthful with black fruits and a touch of pepper and spice. Silky tannins but if I have to be critical, it finishes just a tad short.