1st of 2 bottles purchased in 2015. Provenance perfect. Cork in great condition. Decanted for 1 hour, served at 21C. 52% CS, 48% Shiraz. 13.5% which is just perfect for this wine.
I haven't had the Signature for a long long time. Last tasted the 1996 vintage (from Magnum) in 2009. The 2010 Signature was noticeably richer, more voluptuous, and better made.
2010 was a fantastic year in South Australia, right up there with 2005 and 2002 in my tasting opinion. A wine maker's vintage. This wine shows attentive wine making and lots of attention to detail. This is a wine that has no specific sense of place (except for the fact that it is obviously from South Australia as it is Cabernet - Shiraz) but lots and lots of focus on wine making. For that and that alone, its very very impressive.
The bouquet on opening is outstanding: bright fruit, a bit of leaf, violet and dark, dark cherry. Really bright.
The colour is just as impressive. Dark, rich, with a lot of luster.
The mouthfeel is full, but no raspy tannins; rich, but not heavy; silky, but still really well structured. Great balance, nice bright acidity, great fruit. Long, long taste. No alcohol heat. Very drinkable.
So, why not a higher score than 90? hmmm. . .
Well, the wine tastes really "produced." (like a perfect, toned done Penfolds Bin 389 from 25 years ago before they really began to use the heavy hand of American oak.) The 2010 Signature is an amazing, multi-site blend, with three different types of oak (new and used), grapes (both CS and S from two different regions), and lots of wine making.
Its a great wine; its a blend that highlights wine making more than region or vineyard. And, the tasting notes from Yalumba really tell the story.
52% CS (46% from the Barossa Valley, 6% from Eden Valley); 48% Shiraz (45% from the Barossa Valley, 3% from Eden Valley).
Oak: Matured 20 months in 35% new French hogshead and barriques with the balance in 2, 3, and 4 year old French, Hungarian, and American Hogsheads.
Wow, that a lot of time dedicated to aging and blending, tasting and blending again, tasting.
Terrific for what it is and I would select it ANY day over Penfolds Bin 389. But, I wouldn't make it a staple feature of my table. But, if I had to highlight complex, successful Australian wine-blending from an amazing vintage, I couldn't really think of a more appropriate wine to serve.
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very dark in colour, almost black but clear. high glycerin. lovely nose of dark berry fruit compote, mint, pepper. palate is really impressive. and expressive! initially there's an acidic sweet tang but it's followed with a wave of herbs and spice. no hard edges, just a smooth and silken transition through to the slightly woody finish. wow.
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Nez ouvert de notes florales...pot-pourri, cuir, plant de tomates, d'épices...sel de céleri, prune broyée, soupçon d'eucalyptus...très complexe. Charpenté...umami. Multi-étagé...progression robuste à souple avec une longue finale...généreusement fruitée and succulente ! Renversant ! 94+ Drinking beautifully and 1-2 more years but should hold longer but why wait!
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PWS; Australia and some extra's (@ My place): Clear, concentrated and blood red color. Beautiful bouquet with dark berries, licorice, some horse stable, sweet spices and fresh fruits. On the palate red currants and cassis, a firm amount of sweetness and also firm acidity and tannin. Beautiful wine which shows some maturity and still has plenty of life and power left to last until 2022+.
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Much more life than last bottle. Appealing dark fruit and dried fruit nose with violets. Smooth initial mouthfeel with lots of dried fruit and currants. Then tannins and acidity kick in. A year ago the bottke was possibky peaking. This bottle wiuld have gone years. Long, somewhat monotone finish. Good finidh but nit complex. Lovely vottle!
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Interesting wine, a bit different to what we usually get out of these blends -- but I am unable to put this intriguing something into words. Beautiful dark colors, Bordeaux nose, fresh, spicy mouth. Would like to try another bottle and spend more time with it.
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Moderate nose. Nice black and red fruit flavors. Fruity but not a fruit bomb. More old world than new in style. Sort of like a soft Bdx. Very elegant. Seems to be near/past peak.
It has been about five years since I had a Signature. This one was very good, but not as good as the 2002 that I remember enjoying so much. Lots of dark fruit, mostly blackberry. Good backbone and very long finish. Not totally integrated. Still a bit edgy and hot at the end. Try again in 2017.
As expected, this offering is less bombastic than many Aussie Cab/Shiraz blends. Berry and spice notes are well blended and subtle in their persistence.
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Very good shiraz-cabernet, fresh, not heavy, very juicy and perfect with a big steak at Smith and Wollensky! Blackberries meets mint...a very good value.
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Barossa Master Class with Lisa Perrotti-Brown (MW) - A matter of taste (Singapore): Dark garnet with purple core. The only Cabernet in this Barossa Shiraz tasting. Nose of spices, vanilla, earth, intermixed with red fruit. On the palate the oak is quite visible as well. This is nice but rather commercial and short. Good table wine quality.
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red berry fruit and a true breed of spice. wonderfully structured and just oh-so-slightly showing its Aussie-ness. That whisper of green with plum and exotic red berry fruit. Almost Acai in nature. Great wine. Gets me thinking of the Vasse Felix Cabernet and Cullen Diana Madeline.
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2013 Sydney Royal Wine Show - Exhibitor's Tasting & Trophy Wines Lunch (homebush & Darling Harbour): [Gold medal] {cork} Youthful, ripe nose of raspberry and current fruit. And vanilla oak too, but decently balanced. The palate isn’t hugely distinctive, which might be a reflection of a fairly decent balance of fruit, oak, acid and medium chalky tannins. Warm and cuddly finish of medium-long residue. Overall a fairly decent wine; this is usually a pretty dependable – if slightly old-fashioned – wine which is true to its heritage. One of only two gold medals in a cabernet-blend class of 50 wines. Will be far more expressive if 5 years, better still in 10. And hey, look, it’s got one of those old-fashioned corks in the neck!
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4/5/2024 - ProfByron wrote: 87 Points
Surprisingly dark.
Somewhat muted nose.
Sweet vintage port like! Very much so. Right down to the touch of raisins. Interesting but be warned!
Cork, 13.5% claim which is obviously wrong, Yalumba have terrible record of alcohol claims.
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10/3/2023 - CharlesHK Likes this wine: 90 Points
1st of 2 bottles purchased in 2015. Provenance perfect. Cork in great condition. Decanted for 1 hour, served at 21C. 52% CS, 48% Shiraz. 13.5% which is just perfect for this wine.
I haven't had the Signature for a long long time. Last tasted the 1996 vintage (from Magnum) in 2009. The 2010 Signature was noticeably richer, more voluptuous, and better made.
2010 was a fantastic year in South Australia, right up there with 2005 and 2002 in my tasting opinion. A wine maker's vintage. This wine shows attentive wine making and lots of attention to detail. This is a wine that has no specific sense of place (except for the fact that it is obviously from South Australia as it is Cabernet - Shiraz) but lots and lots of focus on wine making. For that and that alone, its very very impressive.
The bouquet on opening is outstanding: bright fruit, a bit of leaf, violet and dark, dark cherry. Really bright.
The colour is just as impressive. Dark, rich, with a lot of luster.
The mouthfeel is full, but no raspy tannins; rich, but not heavy; silky, but still really well structured. Great balance, nice bright acidity, great fruit. Long, long taste. No alcohol heat. Very drinkable.
So, why not a higher score than 90? hmmm. . .
Well, the wine tastes really "produced." (like a perfect, toned done Penfolds Bin 389 from 25 years ago before they really began to use the heavy hand of American oak.) The 2010 Signature is an amazing, multi-site blend, with three different types of oak (new and used), grapes (both CS and S from two different regions), and lots of wine making.
Its a great wine; its a blend that highlights wine making more than region or vineyard. And, the tasting notes from Yalumba really tell the story.
52% CS (46% from the Barossa Valley, 6% from Eden Valley); 48% Shiraz (45% from the Barossa Valley, 3% from Eden Valley).
Oak: Matured 20 months in 35% new French hogshead and barriques with the balance in 2, 3, and 4 year old French, Hungarian, and American Hogsheads.
Wow, that a lot of time dedicated to aging and blending, tasting and blending again, tasting.
Terrific for what it is and I would select it ANY day over Penfolds Bin 389. But, I wouldn't make it a staple feature of my table. But, if I had to highlight complex, successful Australian wine-blending from an amazing vintage, I couldn't really think of a more appropriate wine to serve.
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4/17/2022 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 93 Points
very dark in colour, almost black but clear. high glycerin. lovely nose of dark berry fruit compote, mint, pepper. palate is really impressive. and expressive! initially there's an acidic sweet tang but it's followed with a wave of herbs and spice. no hard edges, just a smooth and silken transition through to the slightly woody finish. wow.
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12/25/2020 - willwiney Likes this wine: 98 Points
Perfectly balanced oak with black fruit and mild spice. Still plenty of life left.
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8/13/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 93 Points
I could not wait!!!
Voir mes notes du 15 février 2020...dernière bouteille...toujours un grand favori. 93+
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2/15/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nez ouvert de notes florales...pot-pourri, cuir, plant de tomates, d'épices...sel de céleri, prune broyée, soupçon d'eucalyptus...très complexe. Charpenté...umami. Multi-étagé...progression robuste à souple avec une longue finale...généreusement fruitée and succulente ! Renversant ! 94+
Drinking beautifully and 1-2 more years but should hold longer but why wait!
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4/28/2018 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
PWS; Australia and some extra's (@ My place): Clear, concentrated and blood red color. Beautiful bouquet with dark berries, licorice, some horse stable, sweet spices and fresh fruits. On the palate red currants and cassis, a firm amount of sweetness and also firm acidity and tannin. Beautiful wine which shows some maturity and still has plenty of life and power left to last until 2022+.
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10/13/2017 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about 2 hours. Exceeded expectations for sure. Would definitely buy again.
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11/18/2016 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much more life than last bottle. Appealing dark fruit and dried fruit nose with violets. Smooth initial mouthfeel with lots of dried fruit and currants. Then tannins and acidity kick in. A year ago the bottke was possibky peaking. This bottle wiuld have gone years. Long, somewhat monotone finish. Good finidh but nit complex. Lovely vottle!
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12/29/2015 - Adrian Chmielarz Likes this wine: 88 Points
Interesting wine, a bit different to what we usually get out of these blends -- but I am unable to put this intriguing something into words. Beautiful dark colors, Bordeaux nose, fresh, spicy mouth. Would like to try another bottle and spend more time with it.
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12/13/2015 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 91 Points
Moderate nose. Nice black and red fruit flavors. Fruity but not a fruit bomb. More old world than new in style. Sort of like a soft Bdx. Very elegant. Seems to be near/past peak.
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11/21/2015 - klmarshall wrote: 92 Points
It has been about five years since I had a Signature. This one was very good, but not as good as the 2002 that I remember enjoying so much. Lots of dark fruit, mostly blackberry. Good backbone and very long finish. Not totally integrated. Still a bit edgy and hot at the end. Try again in 2017.
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11/19/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
As expected, this offering is less bombastic than many Aussie Cab/Shiraz blends. Berry and spice notes are well blended and subtle in their persistence.
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11/8/2015 - awolosewicz Likes this wine:
Liked
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8/14/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very good shiraz-cabernet, fresh, not heavy, very juicy and perfect with a big steak at Smith and Wollensky! Blackberries meets mint...a very good value.
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11/22/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 89 Points
Barossa Master Class with Lisa Perrotti-Brown (MW) - A matter of taste (Singapore): Dark garnet with purple core. The only Cabernet in this Barossa Shiraz tasting. Nose of spices, vanilla, earth, intermixed with red fruit. On the palate the oak is quite visible as well. This is nice but rather commercial and short. Good table wine quality.
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10/11/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
red berry fruit and a true breed of spice. wonderfully structured and just oh-so-slightly showing its Aussie-ness. That whisper of green with plum and exotic red berry fruit. Almost Acai in nature. Great wine. Gets me thinking of the Vasse Felix Cabernet and Cullen Diana Madeline.
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5/15/2014 - JerM wrote:
(Mich&Bo@LangtonsVI) rich and dark fruits, juicy sweet, tall structured, still tight tannins, young, but a juicy finish. plenty of potential.
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2/15/2013 - graemeg wrote:
2013 Sydney Royal Wine Show - Exhibitor's Tasting & Trophy Wines Lunch (homebush & Darling Harbour): [Gold medal] {cork} Youthful, ripe nose of raspberry and current fruit. And vanilla oak too, but decently balanced. The palate isn’t hugely distinctive, which might be a reflection of a fairly decent balance of fruit, oak, acid and medium chalky tannins. Warm and cuddly finish of medium-long residue. Overall a fairly decent wine; this is usually a pretty dependable – if slightly old-fashioned – wine which is true to its heritage. One of only two gold medals in a cabernet-blend class of 50 wines. Will be far more expressive if 5 years, better still in 10. And hey, look, it’s got one of those old-fashioned corks in the neck!
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