Excellent. 13% alc. Colour: dark red berries, dusty and slightly cloudy. Bouquet: dried raspberry fruit, plus dark fruits, black plums, vanilla oak, dried, herbs, black pepper, coffee Palate: as bouquet, ripe intensive fruit, sour black cherries and plums, dry stalky red berries big soft tannins, somewhat sharp edges, juicy blue fruit finish. Palate a little short. October 2021
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Mostly deep red/black fruit , black pepper, orange jelly. big glops of sour black cherry tart on the palate, that continues on to the finish with some added juicy blue fruit and more black pepper. tannins med to light, but good length. However: doesn't seem the wine is completely balanced currently, the tart palate and finish aren't quite harmonious with the otherwise generous nose. And I'm not sure if it actually will come (back?) together... Best to try this soon 1~3 yrs and check the balance. [ 750ml; screwcap ]
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Excellent, 13% alc. Would have lived much longer but I thought the half bottle may be mature sooner. Colour: dense bright black berry Bouquet: ripe intense black fruit - berries, cherries, olives - black pepper and spice. Palate: huge intense black fruit and flavours like nose. Chewy big soft tannins, oak. November 2020
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In a really good place right now. Subtle spices flow with some elegance on the palate. Dusting of white pepper throughout. Medium bodied and silky. Effortless.
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Drinking so beautifully right now. Needs at least 20 mins of air then opens up into a blackberry, plum, dark cherry melangé whereupon the black pepper kicks in and propels it along. The flavours are nice but it’s the texture that makes this special - so refined, silky and ethereal. Very Pinot in some respects. Super value for money wine when the vintages are good as this one was.
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Clear, medium, ruby to a garnet rim. Clean, medium (+) fully developed nose with rose petals, blackberry and liquorice. Dry, medium (+) acid, medium tannins, alcohol and body. Medium (+) flavour intensity with rose, liquorice, blackberry and a meaty note, medium (+) length. Very good, and can be drunk now. Maybe it was the smaller bottle (375ml) or just a phase, but this was more developed than I had anticipated, will have to see...
Screwcap, 375ml bottle
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Blackberry, black cherries and bacon fat with spicy black pepper on the finish. Medium bodied with fresh acidity that brings you back for more. Drink now or hold. You’ll be happy regardless.
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really nice text book ACT shiraz a mix of florals and pepper on the nose which is both intriguing and inviting pinot like in the mouth, full of flavour but always delicate, pretty. The pepper really comes through on the finish, but is in harmony with the cherry fruit and results in a very nice, satisfying finish Is clearly still in its youth and should really develop some serious complexity with a bit more age.
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{screwcap, 13%} As for Nick's note. Quite light, peppery and cherried. But has a persistence to it as well; with fine low powdery tannins, medium acidity, light-medium weight. Always ripe, but still ethereal. Savoury finish, kind-of interesting but suggesting there's plenty of improvement left, although it's never going to be a monster wine. Five more years.
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This shows off all of the best things about the Canberra region. Floral, spicy, peppery nose. Medium bodied and elegant. Savoury. Good complexity and length. And it's still relatively young. Probably the best value in the CK stable.
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{screwcap, 13%} Bright garnet red colour. Fresh youthful nose; I'll go with Talbot's note here; cherry and pepper, pretty and polished, the palate follows, mixing a lean peppery savouriness with cherry-fresh fruit. Would never be mistaken for pinot, despite the descriptive similarities; it's got a dusty tannic richness, with medium acidity, and a lovely cool mien, helped by nicely old-fashioned alcohol and a medium-bodied weight. Lovely balance into the mid-palate, even if the flavours are a bit simple at the moment; the wine's just a babe for now, and should age very nicely over a decade easily.
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(tasting@Clonakilla) Woodspice perfume, floral, dark plums and bluefruit. Meaty spices. Elegant. Juniper berries. Savoury, still-young tannins, but softly structured. Long green finish. Will need sometime, but very promising!
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Canberra Cellar Door Visits 2014: Pepper, slate, meat and light red fruits. Savoury on the palate, this has medium-good length. Rather needs time to settle and attain some more complexity but I like it now anyway.
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Appearance: Clear, medium, purple, with legs. Nose: Clean, Pronounced, Developing, notes of black cherry, white pepper, sandalwood, freshly turned earth. Palate: Dry, medium acid, medium fine tannins, medium alcohol (13%), medium bodied, pronounced flavour intensity, with black cherries and blackberries backed up by white pepper, sandalwood, allspice and earth. Medium (+) length. Conclusions: Outstanding, perhaps could ask for a slightly longer length, but otherwise wonderful and with incredible complexity, excellent value for money. Ready to drink now, but will improve, I suspect developing meaty, biltong notes along with further spice and cedar. Wonderful... Screwcap.
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10/4/2021 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent. 13% alc.
Colour: dark red berries, dusty and slightly cloudy.
Bouquet: dried raspberry fruit, plus dark fruits, black plums, vanilla oak, dried, herbs, black pepper, coffee
Palate: as bouquet, ripe intensive fruit, sour black cherries and plums, dry stalky red berries big soft tannins, somewhat sharp edges, juicy blue fruit finish. Palate a little short.
October 2021
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9/12/2021 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:
Nice but not earth-shattering. Nice sour cherry cranberry notes. Okay length. Quite peppery.
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4/29/2021 - ShirazTrain wrote: 90 Points
Mostly deep red/black fruit , black pepper, orange jelly.
big glops of sour black cherry tart on the palate, that continues on to the finish with some added juicy blue fruit and more black pepper.
tannins med to light, but good length.
However: doesn't seem the wine is completely balanced currently, the tart palate and finish aren't quite harmonious with the otherwise generous nose.
And I'm not sure if it actually will come (back?) together...
Best to try this soon 1~3 yrs and check the balance.
[ 750ml; screwcap ]
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11/30/2020 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, 13% alc. Would have lived much longer but I thought the half bottle may be mature sooner.
Colour: dense bright black berry
Bouquet: ripe intense black fruit - berries, cherries, olives - black pepper and spice.
Palate: huge intense black fruit and flavours like nose. Chewy big soft tannins, oak.
November 2020
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10/24/2019 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 96 Points
In a really good place right now. Subtle spices flow with some elegance on the palate. Dusting of white pepper throughout. Medium bodied and silky. Effortless.
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9/16/2019 - dichris Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking so beautifully right now. Needs at least 20 mins of air then opens up into a blackberry, plum, dark cherry melangé whereupon the black pepper kicks in and propels it along. The flavours are nice but it’s the texture that makes this special - so refined, silky and ethereal. Very Pinot in some respects. Super value for money wine when the vintages are good as this one was.
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7/13/2018 - G_Talbot wrote:
Very Good.
Clear, medium, ruby to a garnet rim.
Clean, medium (+) fully developed nose with rose petals, blackberry and liquorice.
Dry, medium (+) acid, medium tannins, alcohol and body. Medium (+) flavour intensity with rose, liquorice, blackberry and a meaty note, medium (+) length.
Very good, and can be drunk now. Maybe it was the smaller bottle (375ml) or just a phase, but this was more developed than I had anticipated, will have to see...
Screwcap, 375ml bottle
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11/10/2017 - BPej Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberry, black cherries and bacon fat with spicy black pepper on the finish. Medium bodied with fresh acidity that brings you back for more. Drink now or hold. You’ll be happy regardless.
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9/5/2017 - Nicthebuilder wrote: 91 Points
really nice text book ACT shiraz
a mix of florals and pepper on the nose which is both intriguing and inviting
pinot like in the mouth, full of flavour but always delicate, pretty.
The pepper really comes through on the finish, but is in harmony with the cherry fruit and results in a very nice, satisfying finish
Is clearly still in its youth and should really develop some serious complexity with a bit more age.
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9/3/2017 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 13%} As for Nick's note. Quite light, peppery and cherried. But has a persistence to it as well; with fine low powdery tannins, medium acidity, light-medium weight. Always ripe, but still ethereal. Savoury finish, kind-of interesting but suggesting there's plenty of improvement left, although it's never going to be a monster wine. Five more years.
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5/27/2017 - Jimmy_D Likes this wine: 93 Points
This shows off all of the best things about the Canberra region. Floral, spicy, peppery nose. Medium bodied and elegant. Savoury. Good complexity and length. And it's still relatively young. Probably the best value in the CK stable.
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6/19/2015 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 13%} Bright garnet red colour. Fresh youthful nose; I'll go with Talbot's note here; cherry and pepper, pretty and polished, the palate follows, mixing a lean peppery savouriness with cherry-fresh fruit. Would never be mistaken for pinot, despite the descriptive similarities; it's got a dusty tannic richness, with medium acidity, and a lovely cool mien, helped by nicely old-fashioned alcohol and a medium-bodied weight. Lovely balance into the mid-palate, even if the flavours are a bit simple at the moment; the wine's just a babe for now, and should age very nicely over a decade easily.
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11/1/2014 - JerM wrote:
(tasting@Clonakilla) Woodspice perfume, floral, dark plums and bluefruit. Meaty spices. Elegant. Juniper berries. Savoury, still-young tannins, but softly structured. Long green finish. Will need sometime, but very promising!
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9/13/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Canberra Cellar Door Visits 2014: Pepper, slate, meat and light red fruits. Savoury on the palate, this has medium-good length. Rather needs time to settle and attain some more complexity but I like it now anyway.
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5/11/2014 - G_Talbot Likes this wine: 95 Points
Appearance: Clear, medium, purple, with legs.
Nose: Clean, Pronounced, Developing, notes of black cherry, white pepper, sandalwood, freshly turned earth.
Palate: Dry, medium acid, medium fine tannins, medium alcohol (13%), medium bodied, pronounced flavour intensity, with black cherries and blackberries backed up by white pepper, sandalwood, allspice and earth. Medium (+) length.
Conclusions: Outstanding, perhaps could ask for a slightly longer length, but otherwise wonderful and with incredible complexity, excellent value for money. Ready to drink now, but will improve, I suspect developing meaty, biltong notes along with further spice and cedar. Wonderful...
Screwcap.
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