February 18, 2022 - Intense nose of plum and black fruits, the fruit is still fully dominant.
The palate is certainly concentrated, but the fullness of this wine is the thing that strikes you right away. It's dense, with aromas of cocoa, eucalyptus and sweet spices that intertwine. The balance is ensured by a superb integrated acidity which gives tension and length to a structured, deep and intense wine at the same time. The sensation of sweet sweetness is in symbiosis with the other elements that integrate with each other and contribute to the sensation of relative richness. The touch of complexity comes with an earthy finish with tannins still slightly present which ends on a big length.
It is an excellent wine, far from being tired, it is built to last.
December 11, 2020 - Appearance: deep garnet.
Nose: medium plus intensity; aromas of farmyard, dried fig, dried mandarin peel, black tea, dried plum, toasted nuts. It’s fully developed.
Palate: dry, high acidity, high tannins, high alcohol, full body, pronounced flavour intensity. Chocolate, dried plum come through. The finish is long.
Overall, it’s an outstanding wine. Can drink now, has potential for further ageing.
This is a Wow wine! So perfumed on the nose with layers and layers of fruits, earthy and tertiary characters. Extremely intense on the palate! Long persistent lingering finish lasting for minutes. Such an outstanding wine! Flavour intensity is definitely plus plus. The only think stop it from getting a higher rating is that it doesn’t evolve too much.
September 1, 2020 - I am normally sceptical about these fruit bombs, but this is really special. Heavy, sweet, chewy ( none is positive for me) - yes, but also somehow just extremely delicious. Like eating Marcolin chocolate bar in Brussels.
Need Gibson’s steak for this
July 21, 2020 - Fantastic. I had it once before in a 98 Shiraz dinner and it was good, but obviously had some competition. It’s mature, sweet honey and dark fruit on the nose and palate( great finish; at its peak.
December 22, 2018 - Winebar [8 HIGH end Reds & 10 Shared Bottles] from 12/21/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): "In 1968 the vyd was planted by Jim Barry & yields < 2 ton/acre. The soil is sandy gravel & receives an ave rainfall of 600 mm/yr. The vyd lies on a NW facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the frt is always fully ripened when picked."
N: CHOC atop RIPE berries; Intensity lurking
P: MF body; LOVELY, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which DOES lose its bite by the very LONG, BALANCED finish with a bitter/SWT choc tint to the dusty tannins. For now & making its 25th, poss longer. My EXC+. 93 pts WS (Steiman in '08), 92 WA, 17/20 Jancis Robinson in Dec '12, + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
July 7, 2018 - Occasional dinner group: Magnums chosen by Kenny (@ Invincible in Antwerp, Belgium): Sweet red and dark berries in the bouquet. On the palate a lot of sweet spices, chocolate and other mature impressions, eucalyptus. A truly beautiful and mature wine.
December 29, 2016 - Love this wine. Easy to drink and in perfect harmony with a nice twist of the Eucalyptus nose clearly putting it in Aussie country blind. Did I say I love it :)
March 10, 2015 - Decanted and served.
Rich, spicy with earthy tones. Quite a bit of fruit, true to the style of Aussie Shiraz but not a monster. Even for people like us who dont really like the style we found this "restrianed" and elegant. Light herbal notes at time, lots of dark fruits and a rich core. Tannins are silky. The wine seems to be holding up well but we would suggest one doesnt hold on too much to this. 90-91
June 17, 2014 - Still very fresh with ripe blueberry, cassis and blood plum fruit that just stops short at being dare I say 'slutty'. It is a crowd pleaser, big and dense with creamy oak and sweet, round tannins. It still should continue for another decade or two.
March 22, 2014 - Jelle Comes to Visit for the Weekend; 3/21/2014-3/23/2014 (Leiden and Rotterdam): Big differance between the first and 2nd bottles, but this third bottle was singing with everything you could want from an Auz shiraz - dark fruits, eucalyptus, power. As big as the Pichon Baron, but here the balance is much better and it feels like its meant to be like this. Massive, with years ahead of it. Will save the last 3 bottles for a long time