Still a wonderful Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot blend. True harmony in every respect. Great fruit and lovely texture. Probably nearing the end of its drinking life but what a great journey, we’ve been drinking and enjoying since 2004.
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Still exceptional. The finesse, the flavour ....it’s just simply great! Toasted an old cricket friend who we sent off tonight. Rest in peace Capes, a British Lion forever.
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Still superb at age 18, well done Henschke family, an awesome vino. Fruit still bountiful, mouthfeel still smooth as silk, long finish and completely in balance. So pleased we still have more. Over our married life, my wife and I have drunk more of this wine/vintage than any other wine ....what a winner!
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Still superb red blend. Smooth as silk and lovely mouth coating texture. Oodles of dark fruit, just enough acidity and gentle but still present very mild tannins. So pleased we still have 12 in the cellar!
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For some reason this is my first note - halfway through 3 cases! Initially showing a nice mature rim but lots of oak still on the nose and disjointed with alcohol showing. Really needs 2hrs in a decanter to settle, when it shows a lovely rich mouthfeel. Not a dense, jammy wine - much more elegant, with savoury and subtle spices (rather than white pepper) with strawberry and blackberry flavours. Very good and has plenty of acidity to hold. Drink now to 2025. Love Henschke.
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Pretty massive now and sediment heavy ... too fruit n booze on opening for me ... however ... after a careful decant and breathing (4 hours plus) this utter gem opened up and revealed juicy depth of flavour and amazing nose that proved this £33pounder was a real deal. No idea how much longer this has to run (not long I suspect...) but was an utter joy for me on a chilly night in front of the log burner...just me and the dog and a juicy steak and yorkshires with gravy! Cheers...x
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PnP. Big wine. Dark fruits, with spice overlay. There was some alcohol at first but it blew off quickly. Although rustic at first, this became an elegant wine. I was pretty tired after flying across the country on a very early flight and my perception was a little dull but this was extremely enjoyable.
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70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Fresh and elegant on the nose along with spice, blackberry, plum and mocha. Good weight on palate, exhibits mocha notes, milk chocolate and subtle ripe fruits with smooth texture and nice long spicy finish. It is a joy to drink now and slightly prefer this to the 2002 Nine Popes.
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Australia 2002 horizontal tasting on cooling-off day (Extra Space, Boon Keng): 70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Fresh and elegant on the nose along with spice, blackberry, plum and mocha. Good weight on palate, exhibits mocha notes, milk chocolate and subtle ripe fruits with smooth texture and nice long spicy finish. It is a joy to drink now and slightly prefer this to the 2002 Nine Popes.
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Less smooth than the previous bottle. A little too rich on the palate for me with the alcohol showing through. Less balanced than previously. However, still very drinkable.
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Argh, the perils of judging a wine on a limited sample. This seemed oaky and boring until the last 50 mL of a bottle shared between two. Quite suddenly, the oak blew off, and the developing complexity and subtley of the wine revealed itself. In retrospect this should have been decanted for at least 2hr. Hold and/or decant and the quality of this wine should be apparent. (90+ Good wine)
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Which an excellent lasagne. Really impressive bottle- smooth, full, rounded. Excellent midpoint between being big and some secondary flavours. No ill effects despite 14.5% alcohol
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Chock-full of fruit after 12 years, this has that luscious creamy quality of the best shiraz but has some elegance and finesse, and a long, satisfying finish.
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Very nice, elegant, resolved tannins. Black fruits, tobacco and vanilla. I drank it as people said the fruit was going and it was getting past it. Not a bit of that in this bottle - maybe it's at the peak but I didn't get the sense this was leaving the house anytime too soon
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Decanted two hours before we had it. Garnet in color. Complex nose with vanilla, currant, lavender and hints of fruit cake. The tannin was mostly resolved and well balanced with the acidity. It's smooth and balanced with currant, blackfruits, vanilla, pepper and herbs in palate. Sweet and medium christmas cake like finish. Its started to delcine after three hours poped, it turned to be more sour. Similar to CHAROGERS's notes, the fruit was going and the wine is slightly past the peak. There is no reason for keeping it longer.
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Nose: faint hints of eucalyptus, fruit cake, vanilla, blackcurrant, a little oak
Palate: hints of leather, flint, toffee, milk coffee. very smooth. well-integrated tannins. low-med acidity. fruits have started to fade and the acidity is not enough for a vibrant mouthfeel. Think this wine is slightly past peak or at peak.
Well-matured. No reason to hold.
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I wasn't able to give this my full attention, but I remember it showed some really nice blackcurrant and cherry aromas which is inconsistent with what some others have found. Even so, this is ready to go now and I wouldn't bother waiting any longer.
Vintage Australian Wine Tasting (Extra Space): Sweet cherry aroma. Balanced sweet fruitiness on the palate. Some cassis and licorice. Smooth tannins. I felt that this performed slightly better than the Mount Edelstone 2001.
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The wine is a dark puprle in colour. Lovely aromas of cherry and cassis. On the palate there is wonderful blackberry and nutmeg flavours, almost Vimto-like. Medium to full bodied with a long silky finish.
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- Ruby color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Round texture.
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Superb South Australian blend. Lovely rich nose. Outstanding fruit both red and dark. Modest tannins still holding it all together. Very long finish with some lovely spice to boot. Extremely mouth feel, glad we have plenty remaining.
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This is an awesome Aussie seamless blend. Magnificent full fruit exploding around the mouth and smooth as silk. Super long finish. Have been drinking for 9 years now and it is holding up brilliantly....just love it!
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Dark garnet color with brown rim. Expressive nose of mint, Berry, Menthol. Chocolate, Oak flavor. Smooth n silky n long finish w a little sour note. Very enjoyable Aussie red , drink now!
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What a pleasant surprise! 6 years since my last note and this wine has only gotten better. Color is still dark garnet with a hint of browning at the rim. Nose has evolved to become more eucalyptus and dark fruit oriented. On the palate, dark fruit at the fore which is quickly met by a minty note and framed by juicy acidity. Restores my faith in Aussie wines.
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Aussie night with friends (Sarah & Randy's): Popped & poured by our host. Notes of bright red fruit and whhite pepper, then florals: lavender and rose petals. Flavors of black cherry, white pepper, plum and spice. Finishes well.
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A bit sour, needs a good hour to warm and open. Once it does, it has a decent if not overwhelming raspberry nose. Flavors are somewhat lean, chocolate, raspberry, oak and moderate tannins. The best window was late last year, these need to go now.
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The nose was very nice when we openned it but seemed fade as time went on but the flavors openned up as time went on. Strange bottle. Confused me a little but ready to drink so I wfinish off the other one soon.
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This wine is in a very good place and I recommend consumption in the next 6 months. This bottle has a nose of crushed purple berry, menthol and a hint of keytone/volatilve acidity. Well integrated tannin, hints of oxidative pear, cherry, anise. Better when freshly opened, losses some zing with too much air...unusual that way. I think it is on its way out so drink up.
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Showing really well at this point, well balanced, nice fruit in the nose and on the palate. Two of the last three bottles of this have been quite good and perhaps it is time to finish them off. This is one of those wines with a pretty substantial bottle to bottle variation. One year window for drinking.
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Alcoholic, blueberry nose, a bit pruny with blueberry and skunky notes. Brett in there, if I am not mistaken.Almost sour and not in a good way. Not a good showing and I really think this wine never will be more than where it is now. Now I see why they dumped it in the LA market. To use a cliche, at the end of the day, this wine was a waste of $.
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Decanted 1 hour. Full (-) body with notes of sage, raspberry, cream and herbs. This skews towards darker fruits on the nose and the palate. Very focused but missing a bit of depth. A bit stiff in its composition, this is near peak, but should deliver well for another 4-5 years. 70% Shiraz, 20% Cab, 10% Merlot. 14,5% abv.
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Really the first of these that I have consumed (and not gifted) that actually performed acceptably (for example, the last bottle was corked). Nose is still a bit shut down, stewed prunes, a bit of alcohol that hits you in the back of the nose. Flavors are not as ripe, more raspberry, oak, underbrush and a nice mint/anise/thai basil component. Well integrated and fine tannins with a decent acidity backbone. Not a great wine, probably this bottle is barely acceptable a $30. I do not predict a long life, this wine does not seem to have the tannin, fruit or acid structure to promote more than 10 years bottle age.
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This bottle was the epitome of slighty corked. I detected TCA on the cork and in the headspace of the wine before pouring. Small amounts of TCA were evident in both the nose and taste of the wine. The moldy cardboard flavor was mild enough that the wine could be consumed but after awhile it just kind of made you vomit. I poured most down the drain. Too bad, I think this as actually drinking pretty good right now and I may open another to test this theory. It boggles the mind that a perfectly good bottle of wine can be polluted by a bad cork and bad hygiene during the cork rinsing process and we, the wine drinker, have no recourse but to pour the $45 bottle down the drain. Heaven forbid if it were a first growth Bordeaux. Stupid. Can the industry forget Portugal and come up with an acceptable alternate closure....PLEASE?
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Supposedly a closeout at $30 from WineX, I think it drinks...like a $30 bottle of wine. Nose is okay, a little alcoholic with some mentholatum and red berry. Vanilla (and oak), red fruit, a little anise, integrated and smooth tannins and 15 seconds of finish are about it on the palate. A good wine, okay. An acceptable value...well, okay. Worth more than $30 and a RP 93? No frackin' way which is why I've decided to ignore Sir Bob reviews.
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This is quite a big wine a jammy thick style. Lots of ripe dark fruits on the nose and in the flavors as well. 6 years of age have done nothing to tone this wine down but that's actually a good thing in this case.
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Opaque, black in color... The nose is gorgeous, very floral, spicy, cedary, rich black fruit, very complex - but remains cool, never would guess from a hot place... The palate is full-bodied, rich with tannins, black fruit, herbs, sweet fruit but the chalky tannins and high acidity keep this wine in check... Surely has a long way to go before this one reaches the end. Taste next in 2010. ****/*****.
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Lovely - a pretty simple pallet but some nice, different (and differentiated) notes on the nose 1) floral-perfume (with alcohol) 2) spice, maybe cinnamon 3) deep fruit body, long intense finish.
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Initial aromas of heavy oak, currant, graphite, and dark fruits. With time in the bottle aromas of vanilla, bell pepper, cherry, and chocolate emerged. Very lush and creamy, but a little chewey as well. Medium to full bodied featuring flavors of chocolate, meats, and cherry syrup. Long sweet finish is typical of Australian reds, but not over-extracted or over the top. Very good!
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Fine Whites and mostly Cali Reds (Castle Hill Restaurant; Austin Texas): Served double blind. Other than thinking it was a blend I really had no idea what this was. Mr. Winetex did better on the blind guessing Shiraz/Syrah then Australia. Garnet in color. Well-balanced, good quality wine. This could use additional bottle age as there may be potential for improvement.
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I found the wine rather simple and without an overabundance of anything. Some apparent sweetness but generally a bit disappointing. Could be bottle shock on the ship in from Los Angeles (last month) or overrated by the pro's (surprise). Will see how it opens up overnight. Is this why Winex dumped it at $27? I got black cherries and tar on the palate. The nose seemed to be mostly alcoholic with a brambly nature. Maybe the spicy barbecue sauce on my chop hosed my pallet.
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Took a while to open up, only on the second day of an open bottle did the fruit start to show. Dark, dense color with a dark nose of licorice and black fruit. Has a textured and full bodied mouth feel, round pleasantly fruity with chewey tannins and a nice finish. Appearance (5/5), Nose (11/15), Taste and Finish (17/20), Potential and Quality (8/10)
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Color is dark garnet. Nose shows slightly sour plum, blackberry, spice, and smoke. On the palate, sweet and sour dark fruit flavors, smoke, pepper, and a hint of earth combine to make a very nice wine. A good streak of acidity keeps it all together...should only get better.
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Purple/black color. Deep nose of black fruit, lots of mint, some salty beef blood, and pepper. The palate show a lot, but seems to have more underneath. Lots of fruit, a lot of earth and spice, moderate tannin, and decent acidity for the style. It finishes well with no bitter shiraz funk. This is a very good wine that would be better with 3-5 years of bottle time and probably will last 10-15.
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Beefsteak & Burgundy - Crustaceans (Darwin, NT, Australia): Deep crimson in colour, bright and clear. Primary aromas of spicy fruit and berrys. Medium complexity, no mouth griping tannins and even though it has a high alcohol content this did not come through. It has good balance and a medium to long finish.
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Popped and poured right away. Massively dark color. Amazing nose of tar, camphor, blueberries, and licorice. Dense and mouthcoating. Flavors of sweet black- and blueberries, black cherries, licorice, wood. Solid structure underneath. Long, velvety finish. Brilliant wine.
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12/18/2023 - GeorgeSW wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful dark fruit, blueberry. Cherry, tobacco, silky smooth with smooth tannins. Likely at its peak. Drink now to enjoy
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1/27/2023 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still superb!
But not long to go now, at age 21.
Great fruit and lovely texture.
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6/29/2022 - thehaymans Likes this wine:
Bricking on the edges. Tobacco, sour cherries and long finish drinking perfectly right now.
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1/1/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still a wonderful Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot blend.
True harmony in every respect. Great fruit and lovely texture.
Probably nearing the end of its drinking life but what a great journey, we’ve been drinking and enjoying since 2004.
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4/13/2021 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still fantastic,
Drank to send off a terrific friend!
Great memories shared over a great wine.
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9/3/2020 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still exceptional.
The finesse, the flavour ....it’s just simply great!
Toasted an old cricket friend who we sent off tonight. Rest in peace Capes, a British Lion forever.
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5/10/2020 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still superb at age 18, well done Henschke family, an awesome vino.
Fruit still bountiful, mouthfeel still smooth as silk, long finish and completely in balance. So pleased we still have more.
Over our married life, my wife and I have drunk more of this wine/vintage than any other wine ....what a winner!
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5/18/2018 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still a superb SA red blend. Shared with friends and all raved about it.
Great fruit, lovely mouthfeel, long finished and beautiful balance.
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3/31/2018 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still superb!
Last bottle less impressive, may have been tainted.
Tonight’s was sublime, magnificent fruit, beautiful mouthfeel and extra long finish.
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6/26/2017 - Steven Loh Likes this wine: 93 Points
great nose short on length
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10/20/2016 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still superb red blend. Smooth as silk and lovely mouth coating texture. Oodles of dark fruit, just enough acidity and gentle but still present very mild tannins. So pleased we still have 12 in the cellar!
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8/28/2016 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
3 years on, still a great SA red blend.
See prior note ....fantastic we still have 13 remaining, lucky us!
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3/7/2016 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 92 Points
For some reason this is my first note - halfway through 3 cases! Initially showing a nice mature rim but lots of oak still on the nose and disjointed with alcohol showing. Really needs 2hrs in a decanter to settle, when it shows a lovely rich mouthfeel. Not a dense, jammy wine - much more elegant, with savoury and subtle spices (rather than white pepper) with strawberry and blackberry flavours. Very good and has plenty of acidity to hold. Drink now to 2025. Love Henschke.
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12/10/2015 - MacLizardking Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty massive now and sediment heavy ... too fruit n booze on opening for me ... however ... after a careful decant and breathing (4 hours plus) this utter gem opened up and revealed juicy depth of flavour and amazing nose that proved this £33pounder was a real deal. No idea how much longer this has to run (not long I suspect...) but was an utter joy for me on a chilly night in front of the log burner...just me and the dog and a juicy steak and yorkshires with gravy! Cheers...x
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10/23/2015 - JS1056 wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Big wine. Dark fruits, with spice overlay. There was some alcohol at first but it blew off quickly. Although rustic at first, this became an elegant wine.
I was pretty tired after flying across the country on a very early flight and my perception was a little dull but this was extremely enjoyable.
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9/12/2015 - wkkan Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a great one. Maybe at it's peak.
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9/11/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.
Fresh and elegant on the nose along with spice, blackberry, plum and mocha.
Good weight on palate, exhibits mocha notes, milk chocolate and subtle ripe fruits with smooth texture and nice long spicy finish. It is a joy to drink now and slightly prefer this to the 2002 Nine Popes.
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9/10/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
Australia 2002 horizontal tasting on cooling-off day (Extra Space, Boon Keng): 70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.
Fresh and elegant on the nose along with spice, blackberry, plum and mocha.
Good weight on palate, exhibits mocha notes, milk chocolate and subtle ripe fruits with smooth texture and nice long spicy finish. It is a joy to drink now and slightly prefer this to the 2002 Nine Popes.
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12/1/2014 - Battersea James Likes this wine: 88 Points
Less smooth than the previous bottle. A little too rich on the palate for me with the alcohol showing through. Less balanced than previously. However, still very drinkable.
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11/14/2014 - G.M. wrote: 90 Points
Argh, the perils of judging a wine on a limited sample. This seemed oaky and boring until the last 50 mL of a bottle shared between two. Quite suddenly, the oak blew off, and the developing complexity and subtley of the wine revealed itself. In retrospect this should have been decanted for at least 2hr. Hold and/or decant and the quality of this wine should be apparent. (90+ Good wine)
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8/26/2014 - the shrub wrote: 93 Points
Which an excellent lasagne. Really impressive bottle- smooth, full, rounded. Excellent midpoint between being big and some secondary flavours. No ill effects despite 14.5% alcohol
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8/17/2014 - Battersea James Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vibrant colour - well balanced with smooth tannins and plenty of fruit still. Medium length. Drinking really well.
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7/8/2014 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chock-full of fruit after 12 years, this has that luscious creamy quality of the best shiraz but has some elegance and finesse, and a long, satisfying finish.
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6/21/2014 - diminiko wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of blackberry and black currant. It's balanced with a medium body. Juicy texture with a medium finish.
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6/1/2014 - Charogers wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, elegant, resolved tannins. Black fruits, tobacco and vanilla. I drank it as people said the fruit was going and it was getting past it. Not a bit of that in this bottle - maybe it's at the peak but I didn't get the sense this was leaving the house anytime too soon
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5/31/2014 - Ivan Ma wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours before we had it. Garnet in color. Complex nose with vanilla, currant, lavender and hints of fruit cake. The tannin was mostly resolved and well balanced with the acidity. It's smooth and balanced with currant, blackfruits, vanilla, pepper and herbs in palate. Sweet and medium christmas cake like finish. Its started to delcine after three hours poped, it turned to be more sour. Similar to CHAROGERS's notes, the fruit was going and the wine is slightly past the peak. There is no reason for keeping it longer.
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4/14/2014 - hfc wrote: 93 Points
Nose: faint hints of eucalyptus, fruit cake, vanilla, blackcurrant, a little oak
Palate: hints of leather, flint, toffee, milk coffee. very smooth. well-integrated tannins. low-med acidity. fruits have started to fade and the acidity is not enough for a vibrant mouthfeel. Think this wine is slightly past peak or at peak.
Well-matured. No reason to hold.
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3/31/2014 - SLIMES Likes this wine:
I wasn't able to give this my full attention, but I remember it showed some really nice blackcurrant and cherry aromas which is inconsistent with what some others have found. Even so, this is ready to go now and I wouldn't bother waiting any longer.
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12/20/2013 - JRo wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing - somewhat sour finish with little fruit remaining. Expected more....
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11/16/2013 - Derek Darth Taster wrote:
Vintage Australian Wine Tasting (Extra Space): Sweet cherry aroma. Balanced sweet fruitiness on the palate. Some cassis and licorice. Smooth tannins. I felt that this performed slightly better than the Mount Edelstone 2001.
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10/25/2013 - JosephSanti Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine is a dark puprle in colour. Lovely aromas of cherry and cassis. On the palate there is wonderful blackberry and nutmeg flavours, almost Vimto-like. Medium to full bodied with a long silky finish.
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10/14/2013 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 90 Points
Didn't take notes at the time but I enjoyed this. I'll post up something more helpful when I open my other bottle. Drinking now.
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10/3/2013 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark but not burly; smooth, rich, spicy like chocolate with chilli, velvety texture, long finish. Excellent.
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9/13/2013 - the shrub wrote: 93 Points
Drunk after 94 grange and heldup very well. Almost as full, though shorter finish
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7/8/2013 - LindsayM wrote: 90 Points
- Ruby color. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
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7/6/2013 - LindsayM wrote: 91 Points
- Ruby color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Round texture.
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6/8/2013 - Stu Williams Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking really well now but will still hold and improve for another 2-3 years. loads of alcohol keeping it together. Really nice.
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6/2/2013 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb South Australian blend. Lovely rich nose. Outstanding fruit both red and dark. Modest tannins still holding it all together. Very long finish with some lovely spice to boot. Extremely mouth feel, glad we have plenty remaining.
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5/12/2013 - wkkan wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now
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4/2/2013 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an awesome Aussie seamless blend. Magnificent full fruit exploding around the mouth and smooth as silk. Super long finish.
Have been drinking for 9 years now and it is holding up brilliantly....just love it!
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1/5/2013 - mchiew Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark garnet color with brown rim. Expressive nose of mint, Berry, Menthol. Chocolate, Oak flavor. Smooth n silky n long finish w a little sour note. Very enjoyable Aussie red , drink now!
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12/21/2012 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding Barossa blend, smooth as silk, loads of rich fruit and lovely long finish. If you see any buy it!
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4/1/2012 - Thilo wrote: 93 Points
What a pleasant surprise! 6 years since my last note and this wine has only gotten better. Color is still dark garnet with a hint of browning at the rim. Nose has evolved to become more eucalyptus and dark fruit oriented. On the palate, dark fruit at the fore which is quickly met by a minty note and framed by juicy acidity. Restores my faith in Aussie wines.
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12/23/2011 - parathesis wrote: 91 Points
Very nice.
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7/16/2011 - laelops Likes this wine: 97 Points
Fantastic everyday wine
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4/2/2011 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Aussie night with friends (Sarah & Randy's): Popped & poured by our host. Notes of bright red fruit and whhite pepper, then florals: lavender and rose petals. Flavors of black cherry, white pepper, plum and spice. Finishes well.
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10/14/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 89 Points
A bit sour, needs a good hour to warm and open. Once it does, it has a decent if not overwhelming raspberry nose. Flavors are somewhat lean, chocolate, raspberry, oak and moderate tannins. The best window was late last year, these need to go now.
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4/8/2010 - parathesis wrote: 91 Points
The nose was very nice when we openned it but seemed fade as time went on but the flavors openned up as time went on. Strange bottle. Confused me a little but ready to drink so I wfinish off the other one soon.
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4/3/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
This wine is in a very good place and I recommend consumption in the next 6 months. This bottle has a nose of crushed purple berry, menthol and a hint of keytone/volatilve acidity. Well integrated tannin, hints of oxidative pear, cherry, anise. Better when freshly opened, losses some zing with too much air...unusual that way. I think it is on its way out so drink up.
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12/15/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Showing really well at this point, well balanced, nice fruit in the nose and on the palate. Two of the last three bottles of this have been quite good and perhaps it is time to finish them off. This is one of those wines with a pretty substantial bottle to bottle variation. One year window for drinking.
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9/8/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 86 Points
Alcoholic, blueberry nose, a bit pruny with blueberry and skunky notes. Brett in there, if I am not mistaken.Almost sour and not in a good way. Not a good showing and I really think this wine never will be more than where it is now. Now I see why they dumped it in the LA market. To use a cliche, at the end of the day, this wine was a waste of $.
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9/4/2009 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Decanted 1 hour. Full (-) body with notes of sage, raspberry, cream and herbs. This skews towards darker fruits on the nose and the palate. Very focused but missing a bit of depth. A bit stiff in its composition, this is near peak, but should deliver well for another 4-5 years. 70% Shiraz, 20% Cab, 10% Merlot. 14,5% abv.
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3/9/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Really the first of these that I have consumed (and not gifted) that actually performed acceptably (for example, the last bottle was corked). Nose is still a bit shut down, stewed prunes, a bit of alcohol that hits you in the back of the nose. Flavors are not as ripe, more raspberry, oak, underbrush and a nice mint/anise/thai basil component. Well integrated and fine tannins with a decent acidity backbone. Not a great wine, probably this bottle is barely acceptable a $30. I do not predict a long life, this wine does not seem to have the tannin, fruit or acid structure to promote more than 10 years bottle age.
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2/12/2009 - rich01 wrote: 92 Points
as before - very tasty.
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2/1/2009 - rich01 wrote: 91 Points
such good stuff. nice fruit without being too much. then chocolate. ver smooth and long finish.
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1/31/2009 - guitarguy wrote: flawed
This bottle was the epitome of slighty corked. I detected TCA on the cork and in the headspace of the wine before pouring. Small amounts of TCA were evident in both the nose and taste of the wine. The moldy cardboard flavor was mild enough that the wine could be consumed but after awhile it just kind of made you vomit. I poured most down the drain. Too bad, I think this as actually drinking pretty good right now and I may open another to test this theory. It boggles the mind that a perfectly good bottle of wine can be polluted by a bad cork and bad hygiene during the cork rinsing process and we, the wine drinker, have no recourse but to pour the $45 bottle down the drain. Heaven forbid if it were a first growth Bordeaux. Stupid. Can the industry forget Portugal and come up with an acceptable alternate closure....PLEASE?
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9/21/2008 - rich01 wrote: 92 Points
Sumptuous. very smoth. lots of berry.
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4/18/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Supposedly a closeout at $30 from WineX, I think it drinks...like a $30 bottle of wine. Nose is okay, a little alcoholic with some mentholatum and red berry. Vanilla (and oak), red fruit, a little anise, integrated and smooth tannins and 15 seconds of finish are about it on the palate. A good wine, okay. An acceptable value...well, okay. Worth more than $30 and a RP 93? No frackin' way which is why I've decided to ignore Sir Bob reviews.
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2/26/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
This is quite a big wine a jammy thick style. Lots of ripe dark fruits on the nose and in the flavors as well. 6 years of age have done nothing to tone this wine down but that's actually a good thing in this case.
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12/19/2007 - klmarshall wrote: 91 Points
Thick and jammy. Very good. No hard edges. This is probably peeking now or within the next couple of years.
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8/18/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote:
14.5% alcohol...
Opaque, black in color...
The nose is gorgeous, very floral, spicy, cedary, rich black fruit, very complex - but remains cool, never would guess from a hot place...
The palate is full-bodied, rich with tannins, black fruit, herbs, sweet fruit but the chalky tannins and high acidity keep this wine in check...
Surely has a long way to go before this one reaches the end.
Taste next in 2010.
****/*****.
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5/30/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
A very nice surprise. Dark garnet red color with a lot of fruit and spice and a very smooth finish.
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5/20/2007 - wiskytango wrote:
I did not get the same experience as most of the other reports. Nice enough... but nothing special. Not a very captivating wine.
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4/30/2007 - BailliSacks wrote: 91 Points
Lovely - a pretty simple pallet but some nice, different (and differentiated) notes on the nose 1) floral-perfume (with alcohol) 2) spice, maybe cinnamon 3) deep fruit body, long intense finish.
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1/12/2007 - Apollo5710 wrote: 92 Points
Initial aromas of heavy oak, currant, graphite, and dark fruits. With time in the bottle aromas of vanilla, bell pepper, cherry, and chocolate emerged. Very lush and creamy, but a little chewey as well. Medium to full bodied featuring flavors of chocolate, meats, and cherry syrup. Long sweet finish is typical of Australian reds, but not over-extracted or over the top. Very good!
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10/26/2006 - CO CHRIS wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. Not in need of drinkin. Fine wine. Eclipses the 01, 00, 99 by leaps and bounds.
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6/28/2006 - Winetex wrote: 89 Points
Fine Whites and mostly Cali Reds (Castle Hill Restaurant; Austin Texas): Served double blind. Other than thinking it was a blend I really had no idea what this was. Mr. Winetex did better on the blind guessing Shiraz/Syrah then Australia. Garnet in color. Well-balanced, good quality wine. This could use additional bottle age as there may be potential for improvement.
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5/15/2006 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
I found the wine rather simple and without an overabundance of anything. Some apparent sweetness but generally a bit disappointing. Could be bottle shock on the ship in from Los Angeles (last month) or overrated by the pro's (surprise). Will see how it opens up overnight. Is this why Winex dumped it at $27? I got black cherries and tar on the palate. The nose seemed to be mostly alcoholic with a brambly nature. Maybe the spicy barbecue sauce on my chop hosed my pallet.
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5/3/2006 - ths wrote: 91 Points
Took a while to open up, only on the second day of an open bottle did the fruit start to show. Dark, dense color with a dark nose of licorice and black fruit. Has a textured and full bodied mouth feel, round pleasantly fruity with chewey tannins and a nice finish. Appearance (5/5), Nose (11/15), Taste and Finish (17/20), Potential and Quality (8/10)
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4/29/2006 - cmr wrote: 88 Points
Didn't live up to expectations. Nice body and structure, smooth tannins but the fruit didn't show all night.
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4/16/2006 - Thilo wrote: 93 Points
Color is dark garnet. Nose shows slightly sour plum, blackberry, spice, and smoke. On the palate, sweet and sour dark fruit flavors, smoke, pepper, and a hint of earth combine to make a very nice wine. A good streak of acidity keeps it all together...should only get better.
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4/7/2006 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
Purple/black color. Deep nose of black fruit, lots of mint, some salty beef blood, and pepper. The palate show a lot, but seems to have more underneath. Lots of fruit, a lot of earth and spice, moderate tannin, and decent acidity for the style. It finishes well with no bitter shiraz funk. This is a very good wine that would be better with 3-5 years of bottle time and probably will last 10-15.
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3/22/2006 - wmr wrote: 90 Points
Beefsteak & Burgundy - Crustaceans (Darwin, NT, Australia): Deep crimson in colour, bright and clear. Primary aromas of spicy fruit and berrys. Medium complexity, no mouth griping tannins and even though it has a high alcohol content this did not come through. It has good balance and a medium to long finish.
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2/24/2006 - Wrighty wrote: 88 Points
Henschke dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Initial alcohol nose but faded and closed; strawberries and vanilla, tight and tannic finish.
Group average 89
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1/3/2006 - steffenpelz wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured right away. Massively dark color. Amazing nose of tar, camphor, blueberries, and licorice. Dense and mouthcoating. Flavors of sweet black- and blueberries, black cherries, licorice, wood. Solid structure underneath. Long, velvety finish. Brilliant wine.
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10/14/2005 - chatters wrote:
Dull, good scent, no real flavour, little pepper
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