So I feel like I am outlier. This was just an amazing wine tonight. It was so smooth and integrated -- to be honest, I don't know why I am not giving this a 100, but for the price I paid and the other reviews. This has a lovely seemless palate of subtle dark fruits, black pepper, hints of eucalyptus, and a finish that literally goes on for minutes. It is humbling to see my first note on this wine -- a fruit forward Aussie shiraz that I dislike -- evolving into this. For the first time I really think I have tried a wine at "its peak." I don't think this will fall apart in a year or two, but not sure it will get better. Maybe it will? There are still some soft tannins, but boy is this lovely right now.
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Realized I still had 4 bottles of this left in my cellar. Much to my surprise, this wine is still in excellent shape and with far less fruit than it showed originally. While it might be just past its peak, I was worried it would be leaning towards junk at this point...., now Im really glad I still have 3 more to drink!! But Ill be finishing these over the summer for sure.
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Deep and complex nose of tart cherry, roasted meats, red pepper, and some umami. Nice sweet fruit attack on the palate, well rounded, with hints of coffee along with most of what is in the nose. After an hour or so in the glass there is more black pepper, and even more complexity in both the nose and palate. This is drinking really really well right now. I am very curious to try it again in 3 years or so.
In typing this in I noticed my last tasting note. Just confirms for me that many wines that I may think as too fruit forward settle down and become more complex and subtle with time. This might be close to the sweet spot for me, but I am curious to see if a few more years adds some more or not.
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BAsed on my tasting notes for the prior 4 bottles of this that I have consumed over the last 6 years, this is the best. I have rated the others as very good (VG) and I would rate this as very good plus (VG+). Nothing more specific than that. Drinking very well now and a bargain at the $12 purchase price.
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the rare palatable shiraz, still drinking very nicely--i'd say this has at least 5 years of life remaining. rich and chocolatey on entry, full on the palate but not cloying or overdone, nice grip on the finish.
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I've had several bottles of this before and I became afraid that it would begin to fade. As it turned out, no need to worry. The almost dark blackberry color is beginnig to fade just a little bit. The nose is not. Blackberry, peppar, eucalyptus, a ton of asian spice and sweet, ripe fruit dominates the nose. The tannins still have a good grip, acidity still keeps the sweet fruit in balance and the taste rings for a quite a long time. Few would believe the bottle cost 14$, is seven years old and has a screw cork. To bad it was my last one.
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A good showing for this. Lots of peppery blackberry fruit on nose and palate. Smooth and well balanced with nice acidity. Drinking very well. Superb value for $12.
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Pretty nice, but not nearly as good as the prior bottle.Dark and ripe, interesting nose - full of black fruit with some medicinal hints. Palate has a hint of bitterness with the ripe blackberry fruit, juicy with a dark cassis finish with a hint of mint. Pretty darn tasty.
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Very nice, rich fruity and silky oak/vanilla. Probably at its peak so drink soon. This wine is not complicated but for the price offers excellent summertime BBQ drinking.
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Looking back at my two previous bottles of this wine, it seems it's now hitting a stride of sorts...the nose is clearly the best I've had from this bottling, plums, nicely earthy and mineral, iodine, petrol and deep spiciness...this wine has, and always has, a nice backbone of tannin, great acidity and balance, deep black fruits - finishing long and seemless, a touch of cedar or its likeness...$11.99 @ Garagiste...
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I had a single glass on day 1 with the remainder of the bottle and the note reserved for day 2. Going strong. High-toned blackberry, pepper, and lemon zest. Vibrant acidity and clean, fresh fruit, but lacking in depth, nuance, and finish. A nice shiraz to pair with food with plenty of grip as compared to more popular, ooze monsters. Still, this is an entry level wine in terms of pedigree, concentration, and extract, and this is reflected in the price.
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Wow! I'm not fan ofAussie shiraz, and I am very taken with this wine. It is full of fruit but not cloying or over the top. It kicks off with a fragrant nose, almost hoppy nose, with elusive hints of eucalypt and the promise of a spicy kick; on the palate the wine is quite full but very fresh, the fruit enlivened with a good dose of acidity, a touch of earth, and persistent (but not coarse) tannins. Really wonderful. It will be quite interesting to see how this evolves. Reminds me a bit of the 2001 Mas Saint Joseph Cuvee Aventure.
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14% alc...earthy, zesty and spicy dark red fruit that is succeptable to being too cool and not showing what it has to offer - this recent weather is too warm without a chill on damn near everything I drink...medium body, but full in flavor across the palate, nice brambly red fruit, some smoke...not as complex as a bottle I had in December, but keep this in mind, this wine retails for roughly $12.50. Nice wine for the price and if Garagiste offers again, I'd buy. Looking forward to the Estate later this fall.
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Crisp, bright and almost effervescent. Tart and sharp red fruits in a high-toned cool climate shiraz style with significant acidity and a dash of white pepper. Thirst-quenching and food favorable, this has its best years ahead of it, and although it will never have the depth and mouthfilling richness of a Barossa shiraz, it isn't meant to be a fruit bomb. That being said, it doesn't have the purity of fruit found in its more expensive sibling nor will it age as gracefully. It could use another year with consumption over the next 2-3 years.
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Very pleasant Aussie Shiraz that will likely develop some guts with some patience. Be forewarned that I grabbed the '03 after my local shop sold out of the '02 and it PALES in comparison, so try not to make the same mistake I made or you'll be disappointed.
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One of the better Aussie shirazes I have had lately. This is deep in colour, and ripe and rich on the nose without any sweetness. Lots of blueberry, blackberry fruit and lots of black pepper. Palate more of the same - very well balanced - easy to drink, peppery with lots of blackberry, blueberry fruit. Great acidity to balance the fruit. This is rich and intense without being over the top or too sweet - very easy to drink. Excellent.
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14% alc...Deep color, short of opaque...light smoke, soft wood, and a jazzy berry herbal thing going on the nose...medium body and structure, pepper, lacking sweet copious fruit - instead opting for a balanced and even-handed approach...herbaciousness creeps in on the finish. Simpler, but fun and quaffable at less than $15. ***.
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Pepper on the nose, which makes this shiraz unique, along with dark berry. When tasted, the soft pepper and tannins subside to a nice and not overwhelming dark berry flavor. I love this wine.
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Still fairly tightly wound with not quite the immediate pleasure of the 3-Rings or the Rolf Binder Heinrich at the same price point. ($15-20) Might turn into something more interesting with some time.
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8/21/2023 - Ron Slye wrote:
Still drinking well but starting the downhill phase. Still a lovely well made aged wine.
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6/19/2019 - Ron Slye wrote: 96 Points
So I feel like I am outlier. This was just an amazing wine tonight. It was so smooth and integrated -- to be honest, I don't know why I am not giving this a 100, but for the price I paid and the other reviews. This has a lovely seemless palate of subtle dark fruits, black pepper, hints of eucalyptus, and a finish that literally goes on for minutes. It is humbling to see my first note on this wine -- a fruit forward Aussie shiraz that I dislike -- evolving into this. For the first time I really think I have tried a wine at "its peak." I don't think this will fall apart in a year or two, but not sure it will get better. Maybe it will? There are still some soft tannins, but boy is this lovely right now.
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4/27/2019 - Spartan517 wrote: 91 Points
Realized I still had 4 bottles of this left in my cellar. Much to my surprise, this wine is still in excellent shape and with far less fruit than it showed originally. While it might be just past its peak, I was worried it would be leaning towards junk at this point...., now Im really glad I still have 3 more to drink!! But Ill be finishing these over the summer for sure.
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5/10/2017 - Ron Slye wrote: 93 Points
Deep and complex nose of tart cherry, roasted meats, red pepper, and some umami. Nice sweet fruit attack on the palate, well rounded, with hints of coffee along with most of what is in the nose. After an hour or so in the glass there is more black pepper, and even more complexity in both the nose and palate. This is drinking really really well right now. I am very curious to try it again in 3 years or so.
In typing this in I noticed my last tasting note. Just confirms for me that many wines that I may think as too fruit forward settle down and become more complex and subtle with time. This might be close to the sweet spot for me, but I am curious to see if a few more years adds some more or not.
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5/19/2016 - Ron Slye wrote:
Pretty fruit forward -- not my favorite. Typical aussie shiraz.
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2/2/2012 - drdecanto wrote: 91 Points
BAsed on my tasting notes for the prior 4 bottles of this that I have consumed over the last 6 years, this is the best. I have rated the others as very good (VG) and I would rate this as very good plus (VG+). Nothing more specific than that. Drinking very well now and a bargain at the $12 purchase price.
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4/22/2011 - cse wrote: 89 Points
the rare palatable shiraz, still drinking very nicely--i'd say this has at least 5 years of life remaining. rich and chocolatey on entry, full on the palate but not cloying or overdone, nice grip on the finish.
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6/6/2009 - Billy Swan wrote:
I've had several bottles of this before and I became afraid that it would begin to fade. As it turned out, no need to worry. The almost dark blackberry color is beginnig to fade just a little bit. The nose is not. Blackberry, peppar, eucalyptus, a ton of asian spice and sweet, ripe fruit dominates the nose. The tannins still have a good grip, acidity still keeps the sweet fruit in balance and the taste rings for a quite a long time. Few would believe the bottle cost 14$, is seven years old and has a screw cork.
To bad it was my last one.
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1/29/2008 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
A good showing for this. Lots of peppery blackberry fruit on nose and palate. Smooth and well balanced with nice acidity. Drinking very well. Superb value for $12.
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8/9/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 88 Points
Pretty nice, but not nearly as good as the prior bottle.Dark and ripe, interesting nose - full of black fruit with some medicinal hints. Palate has a hint of bitterness with the ripe blackberry fruit, juicy with a dark cassis finish with a hint of mint. Pretty darn tasty.
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7/30/2007 - BigTarheel wrote: 86 Points
Very nice, rich fruity and silky oak/vanilla. Probably at its peak so drink soon. This wine is not complicated but for the price offers excellent summertime BBQ drinking.
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2/18/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 90 Points
Looking back at my two previous bottles of this wine, it seems it's now hitting a stride of sorts...the nose is clearly the best I've had from this bottling, plums, nicely earthy and mineral, iodine, petrol and deep spiciness...this wine has, and always has, a nice backbone of tannin, great acidity and balance, deep black fruits - finishing long and seemless, a touch of cedar or its likeness...$11.99 @ Garagiste...
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1/28/2007 - Moorese wrote: 87 Points
I had a single glass on day 1 with the remainder of the bottle and the note reserved for day 2. Going strong. High-toned blackberry, pepper, and lemon zest. Vibrant acidity and clean, fresh fruit, but lacking in depth, nuance, and finish. A nice shiraz to pair with food with plenty of grip as compared to more popular, ooze monsters. Still, this is an entry level wine in terms of pedigree, concentration, and extract, and this is reflected in the price.
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1/7/2007 - cse wrote: 91 Points
Wow! I'm not fan ofAussie shiraz, and I am very taken with this wine. It is full of fruit but not cloying or over the top. It kicks off with a fragrant nose, almost hoppy nose, with elusive hints of eucalypt and the promise of a spicy kick; on the palate the wine is quite full but very fresh, the fruit enlivened with a good dose of acidity, a touch of earth, and persistent (but not coarse) tannins. Really wonderful. It will be quite interesting to see how this evolves. Reminds me a bit of the 2001 Mas Saint Joseph Cuvee Aventure.
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9/9/2006 - tairanosaurus wrote:
Nose of black fruit and jam preserves. In the mouth thick black fruit, mild tannins, oak and tangy. Not bad, but not loving Aussie shiraz now.
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7/21/2006 - CO CHRIS wrote: 86 Points
14% alc...earthy, zesty and spicy dark red fruit that is succeptable to being too cool and not showing what it has to offer - this recent weather is too warm without a chill on damn near everything I drink...medium body, but full in flavor across the palate, nice brambly red fruit, some smoke...not as complex as a bottle I had in December, but keep this in mind, this wine retails for roughly $12.50. Nice wine for the price and if Garagiste offers again, I'd buy. Looking forward to the Estate later this fall.
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7/2/2006 - rumpole wrote: 87 Points
Bright fruit with white pepper.
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3/28/2006 - Moorese wrote: 86 Points
Crisp, bright and almost effervescent. Tart and sharp red fruits in a high-toned cool climate shiraz style with significant acidity and a dash of white pepper. Thirst-quenching and food favorable, this has its best years ahead of it, and although it will never have the depth and mouthfilling richness of a Barossa shiraz, it isn't meant to be a fruit bomb. That being said, it doesn't have the purity of fruit found in its more expensive sibling nor will it age as gracefully. It could use another year with consumption over the next 2-3 years.
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2/11/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 88 Points
Startling grace and fluidity for a $12 Shiraz. Holds its own with exotic dishes and has good spice to compliment earthy undertones.
--guy
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1/13/2006 - silvercup wrote: 87 Points
Strong, intense, thick, jammy, dark fruit. Tasted almost like biting into a juicy blueberry covered in pepper. Quite good, but not outstanding.
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1/13/2006 - cmpopp wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant Aussie Shiraz that will likely develop some guts with some patience. Be forewarned that I grabbed the '03 after my local shop sold out of the '02 and it PALES in comparison, so try not to make the same mistake I made or you'll be disappointed.
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12/24/2005 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
One of the better Aussie shirazes I have had lately. This is deep in colour, and ripe and rich on the nose without any sweetness. Lots of blueberry, blackberry fruit and lots of black pepper. Palate more of the same - very well balanced - easy to drink, peppery with lots of blackberry, blueberry fruit. Great acidity to balance the fruit. This is rich and intense without being over the top or too sweet - very easy to drink. Excellent.
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12/19/2005 - burcusabrews wrote: 89 Points
Good QPR from Oz. Typical of a Aussie shiraz with a little less emphasis on oak and much more balance than expected at $12
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12/17/2005 - CO CHRIS wrote:
14% alc...Deep color, short of opaque...light smoke, soft wood, and a jazzy berry herbal thing going on the nose...medium body and structure, pepper, lacking sweet copious fruit - instead opting for a balanced and even-handed approach...herbaciousness creeps in on the finish. Simpler, but fun and quaffable at less than $15. ***.
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11/13/2005 - nickenator wrote:
Pepper on the nose, which makes this shiraz unique, along with dark berry. When tasted, the soft pepper and tannins subside to a nice and not overwhelming dark berry flavor. I love this wine.
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11/5/2005 - luko wrote:
Still fairly tightly wound with not quite the immediate pleasure of the 3-Rings or the Rolf Binder Heinrich at the same price point. ($15-20) Might turn into something more interesting with some time.
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11/4/2005 - Tintin wrote: 89 Points
A very smooth shiraz with blueberry notes. Quite good.
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10/17/2005 - cjschlos wrote: 90 Points
Very tasty, and great for the price. Nice mix of fruit and tannin, will be interesting to see how this changes over the next couple years
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9/11/2005 - cjschlos wrote: 89 Points
Fruit forward but not overpowering, will try again tomorrow to see how it changes overtime
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8/23/2005 - Tubbs wrote: 92 Points
Really nice balance. Dark fruits, smoke, some earth... great with ribs!
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