March 6, 2023 - Still lots of red and black stone fruit, with good color, aroma, and lingering finish.
January 14, 2022 - Cassis and Cherries on the nose. Cherries, Blackberries, potting soil and leather. Definitely think that this has far more in the tank then others.
December 6, 2020 - Aging beautifully but time to drink.
May 8, 2020 - Stood up for 2 days before decanting for 1 hr. Cork broke twice.
Bold, concentrated powerhouse. Deep ruby, black core. Aromas of cooked black fruit, black olive, vanilla, meat notes. Off-dry, medium acidity, muted tannin, excessively high alcohol @ 16% abv, and oversize body. Dense and detailed palate of blackberry jam, black fruits, plum, sweet spice, grilled steak and pepper. Viscous texture, elegant in a powerful way. Very long finish, and despite its boldness it is very drinkable. Balance biased (still?) towards fruit makes it delicious.
Purchased this bottle at Brisbane airport in 2007 and nurtured it during our various moves across the globe. Opened ahead of our departure from Houston. And it did not disappoint!
Drink now.
April 10, 2020 - Really delicious. Great spiciness and flavors of super-ripe red plums, blueberry pie, vanilla bean, fig paste and damp earth. This Aussie would pair well with black olives, garlic and tomatoes; I'm thinking Italian Puttanesca sauce & a fine Cuban cigar! It's unfined & unfiltered, and alcohol is 16% but not overwhelming. Beginning to slide downhill but should last a couple more years.
December 17, 2019 - Still fairly vibrant for an old shoe, not much downside on the age issue, past peak by only a few years,
the only issue is balance, high ABV is the culprit.
No reason to hold this any longer.
Drink now thru 2022.
July 2, 2019 - Perfect cork. Slight bricking but opaque. Opened slightly pruney which was concerning but opened up after about 30 minutes. Still heavy, but intense and complex blackerries, graphite, and sour cherries, all nicely integrated, make this a winner. On the downhill side of its life for sure, but a pleasure to drink right now with a good decant.
March 15, 2019 - Powerful fruit balanced by some savoury, almost earthy notes. Perhaps past its best, but still quite approachable.
January 18, 2019 - Still deep in color with big concentrated fruit in the nose and flavor. Dried plums, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, and spice in the nose. Lots of black fruits in the flavor, blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, and plums. Complex wine, full bodied, well balanced, and a long finish.
September 10, 2018 - Much softer than the last bottle. Still lots of power but well rounded. Vanilla, blackberry and blueberry on the palate. The tannins are smooth, and the acidity is just holding on. Good now, probably won't improve though.