Tons of asphalt / road tar and some very heavy dark fruit flavors (blackberries pie) and smokey / burnt pork fat (not bacon). If you're a cigar smoker, this wine was made for you! It tasted surprisingly older than I expected; it's only nine years old but tastes as if it were about twice as old. Bought from a wine shop in Waikiki for $24.
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Medium tartrate crystals and medium purple with good garnet development. Medium fruit and spice with hints of cedar. Palate is nicely balanced fruit, spice, mainly pepper, and acid. I would like to get more this year.
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Three hour decant, the nose comes across with graham cracker, cinnamon and blackberry. The palate has fine grained tannins and somewhat tart acidity with the distinct flavor profile of Shiraz. The Viognier definitely plays a part in changing how this tastes, an interesting blend.
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This has rounded out beautifully in the last year, now showing lively ripe black and red fruit and warm toast on the nose, with a palate of dusty black raspberry and fine acidity. Juicy and lasting finish with a hint of black pepper and some saline minerality.
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This was a close-out special at $7 - so it was a bargain price. I was not expecting much - and it is much better than that. The wine is dark red in color, with a slight nose of black fruit. The taste is pleasant with plenty of tannin but not much fruit. This would go well with food, but it is not a sipping wine.
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Very well constructed at a very good price. Vanilla and other aromatics. Spicy Syrah fruit. Good finish. Nothing to fault but a fairly simple fruit driven wine.
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This is a glossy appearing wine with aromas of blended white and dark fruit tone. Some mineral piercing notes intertwine with dark crushed fruit. It tastes of sweet/sour note with mixture of mineral and pepper. Interesting.
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Aromas of plum, coffee, pepper and blackberry "fruit roll up" (yeah, the sugary snack from my childhood). Firm tannins, and flavors of black fruit and spearmint. Nice finish; develops a citrusy quality with air. Guessed Syrah.
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Mist duidelijk karakter en complexiteit, veel fruit maar wat eentonig door een gebrek aan zuren. Geopend naast de Domaine Astruc met dezelfde blend uit de Languedoc die 30% goedkoper is. De Languedoc overklast de Aussie door een veel boeiender wijn te zijn met een mooiere Viognier toets en zuren die het geheel fris houden. So boring.
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Wonderful. That bit of Viognier definetly does wonder for this bottle. It rounds up the sweet tones of Shiraz and gives it a real floral presence. This wine is still big and opulent but with much elegance.
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French and American winemakers made this wine in Australia... It does feel like Chapoutier wine from Sud de France, and I like it. Spicy, properly structured wine fells like Cotes du Rhone wine outside the limits of appellation. Flavor is peculiar, and probably make the case of personal specifics of olfaction. The main theme I feel is cooked, slightly sour cabbage, which seems like awful, but strangely it is not. It is actually an overlay of several fruity flavors, and it breaks immediately into red berries and fig. It is moderately acidic and spicy. Why it is not 90? Flavor is rather modest.
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This was good but nothing special. It tasted like a good Aussie Shiraz, but not much more. It's not a fruit bomb, but it didn't strike me as a good crack at a terroir driven Old World wine. The taste profile, concentration, and finish are all good. It wasn't particularly complex.
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I've had about 6 of these so far, and every one has been just fabulous. An unbelievable QPR. Not huge, but all the elements are there, and in perfect harmony. Subtle complexity of smoke, pepper, cedar, and anise really make this worth seeking out. I need another case...
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Leaf tobacco on nose. Medium sweet with medium body of cherry cola, violets and a hint of raw cocoa. Nice subdued shiraz that's very food friendly. Nice QPR.
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Pure blackberry, black plum, ripe, juicy, dense with good minerality (mud), and a touch of spice/pepper in the end. Great balance, good medium + body with minerals and earth and just a touch of dried wild herbs. Great stuff, well made New World wine in an Old World style. Leave it up to Michel Chapoutier to pull this off.
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11/6/2019 - Sanlucar wrote: 88 Points
Tons of asphalt / road tar and some very heavy dark fruit flavors (blackberries pie) and smokey / burnt pork fat (not bacon). If you're a cigar smoker, this wine was made for you!
It tasted surprisingly older than I expected; it's only nine years old but tastes as if it were about twice as old. Bought from a wine shop in Waikiki for $24.
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7/20/2019 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium tartrate crystals and medium purple with good garnet development. Medium fruit and spice with hints of cedar. Palate is nicely balanced fruit, spice, mainly pepper, and acid. I would like to get more this year.
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5/16/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 90 Points
Three hour decant, the nose comes across with graham cracker, cinnamon and blackberry. The palate has fine grained tannins and somewhat tart acidity with the distinct flavor profile of Shiraz. The Viognier definitely plays a part in changing how this tastes, an interesting blend.
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10/28/2014 - IlonaN wrote: 90 Points
This has rounded out beautifully in the last year, now showing lively ripe black and red fruit and warm toast on the nose, with a palate of dusty black raspberry and fine acidity. Juicy and lasting finish with a hint of black pepper and some saline minerality.
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10/5/2014 - safetyengineer Likes this wine: 86 Points
This was a close-out special at $7 - so it was a bargain price. I was not expecting much - and it is much better than that. The wine is dark red in color, with a slight nose of black fruit. The taste is pleasant with plenty of tannin but not much fruit. This would go well with food, but it is not a sipping wine.
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6/1/2014 - Doblk Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very well constructed at a very good price. Vanilla and other aromatics. Spicy Syrah fruit. Good finish. Nothing to fault but a fairly simple fruit driven wine.
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1/26/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Tastes more like a Crozes than Australia, violets, blueberries, liquorice and iron filings. Nice and balanced, good value.
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11/16/2013 - speak2me wrote:
Smooth...nothing notable...good to serve to anyone (crowd pleasing but not exciting)
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10/20/2013 - wdlohr wrote: 87 Points
This is a glossy appearing wine with aromas of blended white and dark fruit tone. Some mineral piercing notes intertwine with dark crushed fruit. It tastes of sweet/sour note with mixture of mineral and pepper. Interesting.
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10/8/2013 - redbrix wrote: 87 Points
Complex and peppery nose. Flavors of pepper and blackberry. Round and very smooth. Super drinkable. 95% Shiraz,5 % Viognier.
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9/28/2013 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Aromas of plum, coffee, pepper and blackberry "fruit roll up" (yeah, the sugary snack from my childhood). Firm tannins, and flavors of black fruit and spearmint. Nice finish; develops a citrusy quality with air. Guessed Syrah.
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9/14/2013 - Proof_Of_Life wrote:
a bit earthy
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6/9/2013 - elledeca wrote:
spicy red fruit with herbal notes, ripe and sweet but with good acidity. good.
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5/10/2013 - Sven D wrote: 82 Points
Mist duidelijk karakter en complexiteit, veel fruit maar wat eentonig door een gebrek aan zuren. Geopend naast de Domaine Astruc met dezelfde blend uit de Languedoc die 30% goedkoper is. De Languedoc overklast de Aussie door een veel boeiender wijn te zijn met een mooiere Viognier toets en zuren die het geheel fris houden. So boring.
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4/13/2013 - javi777 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful. That bit of Viognier definetly does wonder for this bottle. It rounds up the sweet tones of Shiraz and gives it a real floral presence. This wine is still big and opulent but with much elegance.
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4/10/2013 - OlegE wrote: 88 Points
French and American winemakers made this wine in Australia... It does feel like Chapoutier wine from Sud de France, and I like it. Spicy, properly structured wine fells like Cotes du Rhone wine outside the limits of appellation. Flavor is peculiar, and probably make the case of personal specifics of olfaction. The main theme I feel is cooked, slightly sour cabbage, which seems like awful, but strangely it is not. It is actually an overlay of several fruity flavors, and it breaks immediately into red berries and fig. It is moderately acidic and spicy. Why it is not 90? Flavor is rather modest.
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3/26/2013 - jzolkowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP. Rhone nose. spicy and full on palate. Very good, I'll get this again.
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2/19/2013 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
smells so French!
Herby
light-bodied, some vanilla at the end
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2/9/2013 - Motz wrote: 88 Points
This was good but nothing special. It tasted like a good Aussie Shiraz, but not much more. It's not a fruit bomb, but it didn't strike me as a good crack at a terroir driven Old World wine. The taste profile, concentration, and finish are all good. It wasn't particularly complex.
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2/8/2013 - Nuromri Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opaque, forward complex nose. Sweet,tarry complex,moderately long. Hot on finish. At La Bottega Vail
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2/3/2013 - Euell Gophar wrote: 90 Points
Vanilla, spice and some vegetal on the nose. Tobacco and cocoa taste. Viognier provides balance.
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1/10/2013 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 87 Points
I really enjoyed this. Very approachable Shiraz and ready to pop and pour. I'll likely get more of these and will enjoy in the Spring.
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1/2/2013 - GlassHalfFull wrote: 91 Points
I've had about 6 of these so far, and every one has been just fabulous. An unbelievable QPR. Not huge, but all the elements are there, and in perfect harmony. Subtle complexity of smoke, pepper, cedar, and anise really make this worth seeking out. I need another case...
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1/1/2013 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Leaf tobacco on nose. Medium sweet with medium body of cherry cola, violets and a hint of raw cocoa. Nice subdued shiraz that's very food friendly. Nice QPR.
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11/9/2012 - Jzigman wrote: 89 Points
Very good value
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8/8/2012 - jackaroo wrote: 91 Points
Not your typical over the top fruit shiraz, but a refined, elegant, subtle and complex wine. One hour decant was well rewarded.
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7/31/2012 - talnelso wrote: 90 Points
Big fruit taste and aroma - cherry, blackberry, and plum. Nice balance of acidity and tannin. Spicy, bold wine with an excellent finish.
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7/6/2012 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Pure blackberry, black plum, ripe, juicy, dense with good minerality (mud), and a touch of spice/pepper in the end. Great balance, good medium + body with minerals and earth and just a touch of dried wild herbs. Great stuff, well made New World wine in an Old World style. Leave it up to Michel Chapoutier to pull this off.
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