Well this was a huge surprise big bold fruit typical Shiraz. Decanted 3 hours lots of sediments need to be strained. Maybe another year if cellared properly.
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Compared to the 2004 (under cork), the 2005 (under screwcap) is holding up beautifully. Even evolved a bit over the evening. A big, classic Aussie shiraz with enough structure to handle the high alcohol and big fruit. Not sure this will improve any further but great drinking now.
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Still drinking beautifully. Popped and poured. Lots of dark fruit and anise. Full bodied, acidity still going strong. Drink now or hold another couple years.
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Massive smoky oak fruit and lots of warmth ftom the 14.5% alcohol. Still super lively after all these years, with great acidity. For the style this is absolutely on point, and well made, but it's hard to appreciate. Maybe in the dead of winter curled up in front of a fire...
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Last bottle, best bottle. Even at 14.5%, this comes across as reminiscent of old-school South Australian Shiraz. Lovely sweet oak, gorgeous and classic shiraz character. The development of the wine (under stelvin) is marvellous, with a lot of sediment caking the bottle (requires careful decanting). The typical sweetness of the expression of terroir is matched by the leather, smoke and tangy fruit. This is a very big wine. and it certainly shows its alcohol, but I felt the wine had rare balance and poise for such a style. Really fie wine.
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Nice ruby just starting to brick, open nose black fruits dominate, big body but the fruit is starting to fade, still has good overall balance with a nice long finish. Time to drink-up it is on the downward part of the curve.
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Very well made Australian shiraz - not used to taste 15 year old Australian wine, that also improves as well as last.
Still black dark colour. Initially quite a lot of barnyard blew away after 0,5 hour and on day two leftover.
Smoth and sweet as well as very round taste, that is very long with some leather and green pepper notes. Delightful, controlled and sweet wine with plenty of power behind.
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In a good spot right now, probably at its peak. Dark garnet in colour. Nose of plum and dark fruits. Tannins are fine and ripeness on the palate. The finish is medium length.
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This wine is in a really good spot right now. Notes of blueberry, brown sugar, mocha, milk chocolate and a hint of Mounds bar. Both rich and supple but with enough acid (additions) to not make it cloying.
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5.9.2020:+ Kräftige dunkle Früchte, Wacholder, Pfeffer, Rauch und Leder, dez Terpentin, samtig, etwas Zimt, dez Tanine, noch sehr präsent trotz 15Jahre, hat noch Potential +3 Jahre
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At full maturity now - big fruit, not a tremendous finish. Nice mouthfeel. I prefer the 2004 which I've had several times, but this is not too far off.
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Had at NYE birthday party alongside a lovely dinner. Really enjoyable special bottle with pronounced well integrated flavors and smooth tannins. Would love to have some on hand!
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This bottle is slightly past it’s prime. Still enjoyable with dark fruits and good acidity with our Christmas tamales but it is fading by the glass as it oxidizes. This was my last bottle, which is a good thing.
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Last bottle in cellar at castaway restaurant in kaanapali, Maui. Badly weathered label but cork came out fine and wine was wonderful. On the ripe side, but nice balance and secondary earthy flavors
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Fabulous, modern South Australian Shiraz - gorgeous fruit, marvellous oak integration, supple structure, candied notes. Opened tight, closed, and structured, but opened beautifully within 30 minutes. This feels as if it is at its apex of development, but will continue to evolve (and might just improve) for another 5-10 years...
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Deep purple color despite the age. Nose is maybe a bit reticent with slightly pruned blackberry and some saddle leather. At a great point with spry blackberry, pepper, caressing tannins and a bit of stank. Finishes pretty long for its age. Maybe the best of all the bottle. I wouldn’t wait to drink these but they probably have a couple more years left.
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Delicious nose of ripe blueberries, dark chocolate, vanilla oak, toasty spices and hints of eucalyptus. On the palate, there are intense black fruits, plums, licorice, star anise and black pepper in a very long mid-palate. Some freshness in this full-bodied wine, not jammy, it has a rounded structure with a powerful 30 secs finish. Not subtle at all in the palate but it is also not everything in your face type of presentation. Good layering of flavours as you draw air into your mouth. Just some acid bite at the back as you swallow. Still young at heart. Can be drunk now with no decanting but given its density of fruit, right dose of acidity with soft tannins as a support, it will continue to improve with age for the next 2-3 years.
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Difficult wine to evaluate. Threw lots of sediment and had huge barnyard funk for the first 10 minutes. Then the nose got jammy and port-like. Then after another 45 minutes it settled back into blueberry and wet wood. Very ripe in the mouth with pruney black plums. Dark and brooding with flashes of acid peeking through the density. A bit overdone for me.
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The alcohol and overwrought nature of this wine has mostly resolved. Prunes and cherries in the nose, flavors are dark but pleasant, dark chocolate Chukar cherry, cocoa, hints of prunes, leather.
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Had a glass after dinner. Wow. Still very dark and concentrated, in colour, with only a tinge of bricking on the rim. Nose is a little muted, hints of berry and dark cherry with some mature notes. Palate is thick, ripe and rich. Sweet with blackberry and black plum fruit. Still some juicy tannins and fine mild tannins. No hint of the taint in the prior bottle, this is sweet and pure. Long lasting finish as well. Delicious. Look forward to following this over a couple of days.
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Perfectly mature and in the zone, should be there for another 5 yrs easy I would think. Big (but not over the top), dark fruit with a little bite that subsided after about 30 min. Great balancing act with the acidity.
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A once majestic wine, alas, this bottle had passed its prime. Was properly stored, but nevertheless . . . If you have a bottle left, drink it up promptly.
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Still concentrated, but beginning to pick up a little flawed note - not as sweet nor as aromatic as would have expected. Not sure that the excess alcohol is playing some games with the aging of this.
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Audouzed 3hrs, with sirloin steak & sweet potato. Dark heart with the merest glimmer of translucence at the edges. Sweet fruit on entry, mouth filling & broad. Still a memory of vanilla haunting it's passage, tannins & an almost citrus acidity cavorting over my grateful tastebuds en-route to a lingering finish. Best Aussie Shiraz I can recall. Delicious.
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The overheated nature of wines from the Land Down Under seemed to peak about this time and this wine is showing the flaws of too high and alcohol with too ripe a fruit manifesting as an oxidized, pruning nature in the wine. This is from 750 with excellent storage so I can't see that being an issue. In the nose we find alcohol and baked prune notes. On the palate the baked, slightly oxidized plum notes hide a strapping acidity, cracked pepper and forest notes. Sad to say but I would recommend a quick consumption before the baked nature wins completely.
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Definitely at it's peak...drink if you got 'em. Inky purple in color. Wonderful nose of black fruit. Palate has lots of black fruit, licorice, and pepper. Full bodied and long finish. Delicious.
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Deep purple, nose of crushed blueberries, thinner and vanilla. Flavors are lean, but maybe aging some, I'd drink up in the next 1-2 years. Blueberry, pepper, hydrocarbon and an acidic finish.
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Still tasty, and still packed with pure blackberry and blueberry fruit, with espresso bean, olive, and cocoa notes adding complexity. Probably at peak; drink in the next two or three years.
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One of the best I've opened, I think this '05 is in a great place, with meaty, blueberry and pepper flavors. May not hold up more than a day opened so drink within 24 hours.
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This is opening up beautifully with lovely savoury game and smoke character. Very broad and warm climate on the nose and palate, this is suave and feels like it has achieved a resolution of early to mid maturity. It will continue to develop but with further age, I think one may run the risk of the wine losing some verve. Supple finish.
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Generously full-bodied with black currant and dark cherry accompanying some mint and leathery secondary nuances. Pleasantly middle-aged, and thankfully lacks that malty, sour-milk finish that bothers me about so many McClaren Vale syrahs. Should drink fine thru 2020. Great with smoked brisket.
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Took to dinner with future in-laws of the daughter. Decanted about 90 minutes. In a good place. A bit of a crowd pleaser with the full bodied black and purple fruits. Alcohol and tannins pretty much gone. Nice finish.
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Still drinking very well - lots of dark fruit but also very vibrant and a great finish. Very much a new world Shiraz but man oh man a good one. One more left to drink.
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Decanted 4+ hours. Paired with homemade pot roast & Brussel sprouts. Aroma - After 4 hours - still a pretty heavy alcoholic nose. Berrries -Blueberry, raspberry, cherry. Floral up front, followed by Gardenia's. Alcohol is dominant. Color: Garnet, dark ruby red. Not as inky as our recent shiraz's. Flavor: Mild, restrained tannins up front. Not nearly as much alcohol as the aroma suggested. Not very prickly on the tongue and sides of the mouth. This wine actually seems pretty smooth, mature but restrained. Complex layers, chalky, tartness, but no berry bomb. Very good, mature, adult wine. A pleasure.
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Weekly tasting group #199; New years tasting with some young and mature wines (@ My place): A lot of sweet impressions of ripe dark berries, menthol and eucalyptus. On the palate ripe dark and red forest fruits, a lot of sweetness, but also good acidity. The tannin is round and mild, but in fact still very youthful. Beautiful New World wine. Have one more bottle and I should try to save it for 2018 or later. (After open for 5 days at cellar temperature, not any signs of decline yet!)
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Rich and echt-Australian shiraz. Paired with a dish of duck confit with roast fresh figs and a duck stock glaze, this was a stunning match. Unlike 5 years ago, tonight the 15% alcohol did not intrude and the over-the -top aspects of he wine at that stage have moderated into a wine in early maturity. Rich and warm shiraz fruit, masses of burnt rubber, plenty of American oak and leathery and earthy complexity have lifted this wine into a different level of complexity. I would suggest that based on this showing, the wine will continue to improve and develop new layers. It is absolutely worth drinking now, although I will keep my next bottle for another 3 years. Classic Aussie shiraz that pays hommage to the old-school style but adds the (Parkerized) high alcohol and pushed ripeness levels.
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Flavorful, fantastic nose that straddles between youthful fruits (blackberries, cassis, cherries) and mature secondary flavors (cedar and tobacco). It doesn't disappoint, delivering full rich and complex flavors that last for over a minute after you drink.... with I had much more. Alas only 2 bottles remain.
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Good for the style. Very rich, dark berry profile, yet nicely balanced. Some wild herbs add interest. Still tannic on day 1, and drank better on the second day when it showed more mellow.
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Concentrated, juicy black fruits on the nose, with brambly fruit elements. Extremely concentrated on the palate, pure black fruit with notes of black olives and cedar notes on the finish. There's a savory, cured meat note on the mid-palate, but the sweet black cherry and plum fruit dominates. The luscious fruit is impressive, but the oak influences detract from the overall for me.
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Pop and pour. No formal notes. Blackberry dominated, bing cherry, vanilla, with a spicy black fruit pie note on the finish. Tannins are moderate and sweet, well integrated. Balanced, and no need to wait to pop these.
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This is a great wine that I loved five years ago more than I do now. It is still a great shiraz for the money but has probably peaked and will not last many more years. I love this wine with hamburgers or ribs but had it last night with some great fried oysters and grits from Long Island Cafe, Isle of Palms, SC.
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What a great bottle of Shiraz! 10 years old with a brick red colour. Lots of sediment built up near the neck and shoulder. On the nose, tar, dark rich juicy fruits, cotton candy. On the palette, everything has nicely integrated. Just a pleasure to taste with a long finish. The tannins are soft and well integrated now. I don't get the usual McLaren Vale herbal notes but still a fine wine. Drink up now as I don't believe this will get any better. 92-93 pts.
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Another well-made Australian shiraz; black cherries, mints, graphite, lavenders, and precious wood spices in the rich nose; rather concentrated and masculine on the palate, with lots of stewed dark fruits like berries, cherries, and plums, whipped cream, and wood spices; very long finish mirroring the palate plus some unresolved tannins; overall, 92-93 points at this stage.
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Still drinking really well. Black fruits still quite present. Some toastiness. Great length across the palate. Structure and tannins are supple but very present. This has time left in it. Gorgeous wine.
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Very dark fruit aroma with a touch of tertiary components. Some say tobacco, some say smoke, others say meat - whatever they say - its what you expect from a Shiraz. Excellent mouth feel and a lot of fruit flavor. The finish is medium in length but intense enough to live up to the body. The fruit flavors have not faded - but given the alcohol content, I am not really certain how much can change with time. Food pairing here was those cute little lamb chops. Quite a flavorful night!
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry and cedar. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry, molasses, black pepper and cedar with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Paul and I drank with Sous Vide'd ribs. Was not as good as the last Mitolo. Good mouth feel, long finish but not as deep and complex as I recall.
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The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like raspberry, red currant, blackberry, blackberry and cranberry. It smells like vanilla, light toast, clove and violet. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, strawberry jam, vanilla and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine started with some coarseness to its texture but became satin-like. The wine finishes medium. Good to go now, but has years of life in it.
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Pop and pour: Looks young in the glass, purple with a transparent magenta rim. Cherry fruit on the nose, but also stewed plum with a savory, green bean note under baking spices, clove and anise. It comes together better in the mouth: black berries and currant jam, peppery, with sweet spices. The finish is long and bright. It gets better as it goes.
No need to wait on these, they aren't likely to improve, but there's not a great rush. 90
After two days corked on the kitchen counter: A sniff at the bottle showed the oxidized notes you'd expect from a wine abandoned on the counter for two days. But poured into the glass those notes disappeared and left a much brighter, younger wine, somehow without the stewed, aged notes that I got initially. Pure black berry and fruit, some baking spices, altogether much closer to my previous notes from years ago. Nice long finish, with some juicy acidity.
So I'm revising my note and my score upward to 92-93. I still think I'd advise drinking these in the next year or two, but not because I think they are at the downslope, but because I suspect they're at peak around now. Just don't pop and pour, give the wine two or three hours in the air to shake off its slumber.
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Decanted for 2 hours; retains a syrupy consistency but the nose and profile show a muted shiraz. Exhibited port-characteristics about 2 hours into the drinking window.
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: ripe purple fruits, showing just a hint of aged character; dark chocolate (oak); a touch smoky; very ripe.
BODY: black-garnet color of great depth, with some bricking at the edges; full bodied.
TASTE: very ripe; dark, rich purple fruits; hint of soft black licorice (aged character); 14.5% alc. is a little noticeable; adequate acidity; tannins integrated; lots of lush, thick, ripe fruit; light-to-medium oak; good, but not my preferred style of wine. Drink now, I suppose, or over the next 3 - 5 years, even though I don't see this getting any better with age.
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Took this to blind tasting tonight. Decanted 2 hours before. No one guessed it as Shiraz or as an 05. Very complex nose that slowly evolved revealing a variety of aromas over time. Despite the Parker/Jay miller notes, most at the tasting think it has a few years left yet. Lots of big dark fruits remain with smooth & well integrated tannins. Velvety with texture. Nice surprise. Nice job Ben Glaetzer!
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Over 5 years since my first bottle from this producer. Popped it open or should I say twisted the cap off. 9 years old. Dark ruby red, gorgeous deep colour. There was some expected sediment along the edge of the bottle. Somewhat muted, but at the moment (without decanting) nose of tar, some earth, orange peel, mild oak. The palette is great. The 2005 ripe balanced red fruit. Blueberries. Still some acidity and slightly grippy tannins. Alcohol is smoothed out and not prevalent. I think the structure is still solid and this wine hasn't fallen apart so should still be fine for a few more years before it starts its decline. Probably one of the better Glaetzer wines I've had recently. I will say I don't detect as much of the McLaren Vale freshness. I remember back in 2008, it was there. But now its more in the background. Still a great wine. Finish is nice. And its well balanced. Thumbs up!
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Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2014-01; Syrah/Shiraz (@ My place): Beautiful dark fruits, herbs and spices, leather and some sweetness in the bouquet. On the palate juicy dark fruits, salty licorice, coffee, good fresh acidity, some sweetness and soft tannin and bitterness. Ready now and the next few years.
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This has been sitting the cellar for about 5 years, and is certainly a different wine to 5 years ago when I think I had my last. Deep, savoury syrah nose, but still full of puppy fat. Initially, the palate is completely closed down, it takes, 30-60 minutes to start to open and a good 3 hours to fully open. Once the wine has opened up, there is more tannin, more smoky savouriness on the nose, and more acidity, giving classic Syrah cranberry fruits on the palaete, which combined with that initial depth is compelling. Not my favoured style but to be admired nonetheless. Shame it was my last, as it needs a few more years yet.
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Ripe and forward black fruit aromas with cherry liqueur hints and oak spice. Seems a bit over-extravagant to start but quickly transforms into a solid, well balanced black fruit wine with black pepper and reasonable spice on the palate, with a persistent and harmonious finish.
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When I tasted this last in 2010 I wrote that I thought it would improve over time but it's essentially exactly the same now. Good example of Aussie Shiraz from the early 90s. Big, fruity with nice body and grip but a touch of heat and VA prevents it from going to the next level. A decent wine
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Deep dark purple, bordering on black. Overripe dark berry fruits and earthy tones dominate the nose. Undertones of liquorice and pencil shavings. Not all that precise and slightly jammy - not hot though. Palate is rich and concentrated, medium to full bodied the wine offers lots of dark blackberries and the characteristic spice/pepper notes with a medium-length finish. I must admit that I am not as impressed as many other fellow CTers seem to be by judging from the scores being thrown around here. Especially when taking the 40€ price point into consideration this is a quite a letdown due its lack of complexity and precision. Concentration is not everything and I have drunk superior Shiraz at a third of the price.
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I'm basically all Old World at this point in my wine collecting (and drinking), but I've still got a lot of New World bottles to choke down that bought in my early development--hey, they were cost working in a wine shop, at least. I have to say, this bottle really made me take a double-take. I had it on release a few years back--very oaky, of course, but I bought a bottle anyway to cellar. Glad I did! If it had been a blind tasting, I might have guessed old World. This wine is perfectly matured, but could probably go 2-3 years more. Beautiful integration of dark fruit, tannins, and acidity with no pesky vanilla extract taste. I thoroughly enjoyed it by iteself, with lamb chops, and then dark chocolate. The winemaker named this wine in honor of his kids with GAM being each of their initials, if I recall. I'd be proud at his effort if I were them. That's what I call a cool legacy to leave.
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Vinituried into glass. Nose: Black fruits with some funk and earthy hints. Palate: Spicy, black fruits with good richness, soft tannins, and bright acidity with a medium length finish. Much more old world than typical Aussie. Unlike the last bottle (notes on 2/22/09) this is open for business after several years sideways. Last and best bottle of this.
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Very, very impenetrably dark and opaque. Reticent nose. First tastes very gripping, then tedious at the end. Could not finish the glass. No defects, just not in our preferred style.
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This was a pleasant surprise. Assumed by now this 2005 would be a bit over the hill, given the nature of these wines. But, it was smooth, a fruit nose, integrated, not too alcoholic and no sense that the alcohol had stressed the wine over time. A smooth and well-balanced wine, with fruit, but not jammy, and a hint of spice and earth.
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Purchased on release and stored in temp controlled cellar since. Perfect cork and fill. Dark purple core, minimal lightening at rim. Blackberry, pepper, hint of alcoholic heat on the nose. Full body, bold ripe dark fruits cover the alcohol well, balancing tannins and acid keep this from being flabby, tannins in evidence but not harsh, medium long finish, no real complexity, should drink well for many years. Excellent
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This was big but not obnoxiously so. VA was in check and it was clean. Lots of sediment with a spicy, raspberry nose. Blueberry, pepper, char and boysenberry palate.
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Pleasant simple, sweet briary/ peppery fruit, smooth mid palate, not as overwhelming or hot as some Shiraz, but not terribly complex, a well made decent quaff
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At a nice spot right now. Some of the bold fruit has taken the back seat to secondary nuances of black pepper, Christmas spices, cinnamon. Nice acidity and well balanced.
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Drinking one of these about every two years. Not much development one way or another since 2010. Maybe getting a bit more balanced but still a big boy with strong flavors and structure. Should hold up for a while still.
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Dark opacity. Subdued nose. Quite rich and full, stopping just this side of over-the-top. High alcohol saved by just barely enough acidity. Fruit allowed to show well without excessive jamminess. A good example of the style, at least to my taste.
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Full body. Sweet briary fruit with peppery cinnamon spice, mocha and a touch of peppermint. Chewy mouthfeel, integrated tannins, too-peppery finish. Overall, an enjoyable Shiraz, though nothing profound.
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Dark fruited and pleasant up front but with a slight metallic bitter note on the back-end finish that was distracting. Despite this, it was in pretty good balance with it's structure and fruit composition.
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Was slightly corked, so no rating here. You could feel its power underneath the cork though. I hope my second bottle is okay and I wonder what the wine can do when it is in full flight.
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A little skunk and VA in the nose, this has a bit of a pruned nature to it, but is overall not horrible. Spicey, peppery and pruney, this showed a bit of reserve after opening with a decent acidity to liven it up. Pricey for the quality, perhaps this needed to be drunk early in its lifetime, but for the price, you would have thought age would help. Okay, but not worth $40.
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Second tasting with consistent notes. Initial tastes after opening are over the top, excessive fruit & raisins, cloyingly sweet. However, after 24 hours in the decanter, it dried out a bit and was lovely, very enjoyable.
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A steady and satisfying shiraz, although it didn't quite reach that deliciousness level that I hit with Two Hands (my favorite brand from Oz!). Aromas of black cherry, plum and baked fruit tart, with loamy accents. A dense mouthfeel with flavors of espresso, black cherry, and cola, and a finish showing toasty cherry fruit.
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It looks like textbook Aussies shiraz as I poured it into the decanter: a pitch purple color, almost black. I noticed a significant amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle and some crust around the neck. For that reason alone, it’s worth decanting, but this wine definitely benefits from oxygen. The aromas start off like a tight ball of dark and compact fruit. With some air, the black cherry and plum aromas start to come out, and it begins to smell like a fresh fruit tart dessert. There’s a bit of charcoal and just a hint of rich loam aromas as well. The tannins add a texture of finely ground coffee to the palate. I’ll admit that the alcohol is evident, but it’s inoffensive. There’s just enough acid in this wine to keep it from tasting too big and overwhelming, although I’d prefer some more. Flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and hints of mocha abound. Hints of and creamy cherry fruit toast accent the finish. I’m glad I’ve held off on opening this bottle and let it reach an interesting stage in its evolution. If anything, I’d say this wine could use another three to five years of age. I had a 2003 vintage of this same wine last year and absolutely loved the leather and meat aspects that it showed. The 2005 currently lacks some of those secondary characteristics, but I think they’ll come out in due time.
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This bottle was stored in passive cellar, and showed up fantastic. Crack of the cork was loud, and this had not oxidized one bit. Soft and supple tannins, but the fruit was still VERY apparent, and clear, Black and Blue berry fruit, with some rhubarb, dark roasted chololate, and graphite. A really wonderful Shiraz at this point! A little hot, but the fruit is backing it up. Not sure this will get a whole lot better, but very strong show now.
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Purple opaque to the eye. Strong nose of molasses, butterscotch, and caramel. Flavors of prunes - stewed prunes - in hot unbalanced palette. Low acidity. Interesting thick mouthfeel leading to medium length finish. Low complexity and structure at this point. Reminded me of port as much as wine. Does need food for balance. Admittedly not my style.
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Stamford Book Club (Davenport Farm): Slow ox for several hours prior to drinking. COLOR: Dark purple. Opaque. NOSE: Oak, licorice, spice and pepper. Wow! Very aromatic. TASTE: Very peppery. I am not sure if age has mellowed the jamminess of this wine or the pepper masks it Maybe it's just not a typical Parker fruit bomb? Either way, I like it. Also some black licorice and vanilla. OVERALL: Long, hot finish. Excellent wine. It is a HUGE wine and really needs food. (4+13+17+8)
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Dark purple with a ruby rim. Still a very young nose of primary fruit. Overwhelming alcohol, this wine is not balanced and after 7 years, I doubt it will balance out.
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Good right out of the bottle, with flowery aromatics and a deep purple coloring. Still packing a powerful alcohol afterburn and extraordinarily smooth and refined tannins, I'm not sure if more time will tame the alcohol or turn this into more of a port-like wine than it already is. I have quite a few bottles and will begin drinking on a regular basis.
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Dense purple colour. Soft rounded mouthfeel, tannins barely noticeable, alcohol in check. Oak and cassis, only a little gloopy but this did seem to mask the structure. It's very enjoyable but suspect it might benefit from a few more years in the cellar to bring out further elements.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Gorgeous on the nose with oak, liquorice and spices. On the palate , this is full bodied, powerful tannins and long aftertaste. It's still a bit hot on the palate and the alcohol is quite present. I would wait 3-4 years to drink it so things could settle down. In my humble opinion, the 2005 Reiver is far better. Anyway, this is still excellent!
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Didn't take notes, but this bottle was singing last night. Not much complexity, but it certainly is very tasty, with a smooth, velvety texture, nice concentration and quite well balanced. Definitely an easy drinking fruit bomb, but quite delicious and greatly enjoyed by everyone at the table (A-).
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Too massive for my taste--not a "fruit bomb," exactly, but dark, blunt. Still, the roast coffee and chocolate on the nose are really nice, and the palate is all blackberry with good length.
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Last tasted 2008. Similar to my previous note. Purple opaque color. Nose of briary fruits, smoke, tar. Palate of salt, blackberries, blueberries, spice, pepper. Less heat than in the past. Big wine.
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): See also notes from 2009 and 2010. This is still a wine with a lot of primary fruits and in fact a lot of everything. I'll leave my bottles in the cellar for another 3 years.
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Overrater Bobo strikes again. I thought this was underwhelming, boring. Quite a bit of sediment and not giving much in the nose. Chocolate, some fruit, just not a lot in this bottle.
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(tasting at Mich&Bo's) Inky and opaque. Broad floral perfume, violets and leather. Bramble. Dusty. Developing nicely in the bottle, with excellent structure, intensity, verticality and purity. My favourite for the night.
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Excellent wine. The nose of rich berry aromas, dark and inviting. And then the taste...delivers! Not mouth coating like so many Aussie shiraz but rather bringing all the delicious flavors promised by the nose onto the palate. A real delight from down under. You won't go wrong with this crowd pleaser.
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Still pretty primary, but still pretty pretty as well. I like this wine, it has great richness and depth with no hard edges to it. Very smooth, very flavourful.
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Decanted for 45 mins, returned to bottle and brought to a party. Notes over the course of an hour show a still-syrupy wine that's deep in color. More fruit pie than anything else, but well-balanced and not overly in-your-face. Will retry shortly to better assess as I have a lot of this vintage.
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Drank over 2 days. It is a hedonistic delight. Toasty oak with soaring blueberry and vanilla. Juicy sweet and fullish. Just satiate the senses. The alcohol is well integrated but does give me a headache and therefore has to be consumed over 2 days.
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90-120 minute decant. Stunning. Great blueberry, black fruit cobbler, plum, spice box, black tea, and a floral/potpouri hint with creamy notes. Smooth mouthfeel with sweet, integrated tannins. Very well balanced. Outstanding. Still has a few years left, but an amazingly well integrated, balanced, delicious wine right now.
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Aussie Shiraz with Mitolo GAM Vertical 2002-2005 (John's House): Purple black color. Very nice nose, black and blue fruits, pepper, licorice, espresso, and oak. The palate has a lush, velvety mouthfeel, fresh, blackberry, blueberry pie, balanced, integrated tannins, long finish. My #2 WOTN, group #3, and Mitolo vertical my and group WOTN.
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Rich, jammy blueberries & raspberries, anise, vanilla, and gentle wood on the nose. Cherry, cool earth, and cedar carry through on the finish, along with baking spices (nutmeg or clove). Incredibly smooth wine, from mid-palate through to the finish. Big, bold wine...yet refined to ensure there is not excess sweetness. Very lovely. Drinking well now and likely for 3-4 more years.
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An absolutely beautifull wine. Nioce red fruit with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar. This flows easily and is seamless in its journey from start to finish. Alcohol is well contained by great fruit and ends with a nice long finish. Excellent.
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The fruit has toned down with some age, but that seemed to allow the booziness/alcohol show more (more with texture and mouthfeel than with heat on the finish). More monolithic than I expected as well. Still a nice wine as it had the tannins and acidity to offset the fruit.
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Yes it's s a huge wine. Yes it's a little syrupie. Yes it's well balanced. Yes it can be food by itself. It's still clearly a youngster with very good potential for improvement. Has just the right amount of acid. Finishes with lovely sweet grainy tannin. Even as big a wine as it is, BBQ ribeye stood up to it just fine. Could be a little more complex. But I love anyway.
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What a massive wine, this is as full bodied as it gets. The palate is full of fruit, it's smooth and well integrated, almost like eating dessert. Certainly not a bad wine, just not my cup of tea
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Took to a dinner. Popped and served, no formal notes. Big forward shiraz, but no heat noticed. Nose of massive blackberries, blueberries, black licorice, caramel, and a little spice. Palate was similar with blackberry liqour, blueberries, a little vanilla, spice. Long finish, but too forward for my taste and not enough complexity at this point. Hold. 50+5+11+17+6
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Red fruity & melted red licorice, but not over-the-top nose. *Seamless* entry of balanced melted red & black licorice, cinnamon & red fruit. Lingering, clean, tingling, cedary, minerally finish. Very well integrated. Nary a rough or awkward seam. Many years ahead of it.
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Warning! This bottle was abused in some way. Cork was fully compromised and capsule was entirely coated. I bought it from a reputable store a couple years ago but apparently didn't check the capsule before putting it into my wine locker. COLOR: Deep purple w/purple-garnet rim NOTE: Nose starts out with nice black fruits that have to be coaxed out of the glass, then comes a little tobacco and some whiffs of cheddar cheese (weird). Mouth is rich and redolent with blackberry liqueur and pomagranate liqueur, a real yin and yang of black and red fruits, nicely balanced with acidity that makes it refreshing. Finish has roasted black plum, blackberries and black cherry, with some tobacco and nice 60% cocoa hits. This is more my style than the 2004. Also did a 1 hr decant w/o Vinturi (Taste: 9.0+) and the fruit was very subdued in the nose. Wild! Of course, there also wasn't any cheese smell either (and no I didn't use my Vinturi on cheese right before).
I opened this two nights ago, and only had a sip. I forgot I opened it and then re-discovered the open bottle today, two days later. The wine is great at this point -- really opened up and showed some of its underlying fruit. After 2 days, the wine is still fairly tanic, and rich, but there is some nice underlying blackberry fruit. This paired great with a steak and salad on an otherwise ordinary Monday night after work. This wine is coming along nicely. I predict it will be even better in about 2 years.
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Blueberry, licorice root, some redcurrant, violets, camphor, and a touch of earthen leather. Expressive, smooth, even elegant on the palate, which highlights an anise bite, peppery herbs and a little kirsch. Energetic finish full of white pepper kirsch, blueberry, a raspberry note and hints of earth. Interesting. This could be mistaken for a Saxum from a cooler year.
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The best Shiraz that I have had in quite some time. Very dark garnet color...dark berriies and cassis on the nose. Decanted for 30 minutes...smooth with an outstanding finish. This wine is drinking extremely well at this time!
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opaque purple/black - on the nose this is an extremely dense and ripe blackberry and candied plums and very well intergrated American oak. In the mouth - huge and sweet - very smooth. It is a nice wine with huge depth and very well made. With air, distinct mocha, smoke and leather notes below the juicy fruit. The main attribute but also the main problem with this wine is its liqueur like style which would be overbearing for some people.This wine can be drunk now for its sweetness or aged for 15+ years to see where it will go. A sipping wine that may fight against food at this stage. This is a "Parker" wine that both gives him a good or bad name depending on your taste. I'm being a bit stingy with 91 points but 95 points from the wine advocate seems out of line.
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Short notice, so popped & poured (again, doh!). Uber-fruity, lots of oak & confected cassis. Improved with air, so I should take my own advice & decant next time. That nice nose still present & correct, a monster on the palate. Some freshness & even delicacy on the finish saved the day, though.
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big on the brown sugar, and a some reduced jam this was good at first couple glasses, but after awhile it seemed one dimensional and sickly sweet, so much so that I couldn't even drink the last glass from the bottle
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I was preparing to write an obituary for Aussie Wine in my cellar, but this held the fort nicely and a clear step up from the last bottle I had a couple of years ago. Served with great BBQ, this delivered tons of ripe blackberry and incense, still fresh and a long finish. Nicely done.
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From 75cl screwcap. Rather dense and sticky with an opaque black-and-blue robe. Sweet nose of blackcurrant jelly, little hints of leather and fresh-turned earth. Very burly attack, this is a gushing glass of warm black fruits. Finish is a little short and flashes the alcohol a touch. A decent tannic structure but rather soft acidity leads me to a now-2015 or so window. It's all about ease of drinking and does the job very nicely.
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big wine. extracted blackberry, blueberry, big fruit, and tannnic, as lisa says ' a fruit bomb'. brit loved it. to me it was almost over the top, and just nudged out the 2005 Mitolo Jester.
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This is a really good shiraz. While the nose is somewhat reticent, the palate is loaded with intense flavors of blackberry and a hint of citrus. Long, long intense finish, with perfect acidity and tannic balance. Very nice.
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Been on a binge of Aussie shirazes this week- trying to make room for new purchases from other regions. I have been struck by how similar all of these similarly priced, and similarly aged wines taste. Very difficult to distinguish much in the way of interesting nuance, or development of secondary flavors. This is a very good wine, and is a crowd pleaser with my non-enophile friends, but my tastes have changed and I won't be buying more.
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Had this a couple of days ago. No notes, but this was a pleasant, if unidimensional wine. Some meaty notes on the palate, which I always love in my sryah/shiraz, but I thought it was basically a solid, very smooth, nicely textured wine - just a rather simple wine (B+).
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Nice perfumy nose, blueberries, slight VA. Something just a bit fizzy in the wine making me wonder if it is a candidate for Brett down the road. Hot flavors of blueberry. Perhaps a bit one dimensional. Not a 96 now, RP. Quite hot going down, and this is a definite objectionable quality.
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Very nice shiraz, more like a classic Aussie style from ten or more years ago, not overly ripe or highly alcoholic (14.5%) Nice balance. Ready to drink but improved with half hour breathing
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Especially the bouquet is beautiful with ripe cassis and pleasant oak. Really elegant. On the palate cassis, black forest fruits and some eucalyptus. Some pleasant sweetness. The taste is great, but less elegant than the bouquet. Firm amount of bitterness and tannin. The wine probably needs a few more years of cellaring.
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Nose of black fruit, brown sugar, maybe molasses. The palate is rich, but not heavy, and adds a little blueberry and lavender for intrigue. Drinking much better here on day 2.
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I decanted this for 4 hours. The nose was of concentrated licorice and tar, little fruit. Palate was much of the same with big tanins and much more oak than I expected. Maybe an off bottle but I just don't see it. Very dissapointing on Christmas Eve.
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Really concentrated. Very dark and ripe, blackberry, cherry and currant fruit. Really well balanced with dry soft tannin and juicy acidity to balance the ripe concentrated fruit. Lacks some verve to merit a higher score for me. Parker must have scored this on its concnetration alone. Tasty Shiraz and went well with food.
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From previous tastings this isn't the same wine. It was tasty enough but lacked the depth and complexity. It was popped and poured last minute. Maybe it was just too tight.
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From Magnum- decanted for three hours and took over to a good friends house. Wonderful complex nose with taste following the same format. Tar, deep blackberry, and hint of dark roast coffee make for a wine the entire group enjoyed. I did set aside a small glass at home (I would be a fool to take every last drop along :) ) to try upon returning later in the evening. The nose had significantly faded but the taste was still rich and complex. I wonder how this will age?
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'Ole reliable. This bottle is excellent and ranks as one of my favorites. Dark purple in color, jammy, heavy bodied-- outstanding Shiraz! If you get the opportunity this wine is worth decanting and will open up. Bound to put a smile on anyone's face!
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Mitolo tasting with Frank Mitolo and Ben Glaetzer (Quince Restaurant, Toronto): A serious wine. The nose was of plums and other rich, dark fruit, not atypical from the rest of the wines in the tasting. What WAS atypical was the savoury elements of soy, cumin and a hint of meat that accompanied the simpler fruit profile; very indicative of a much higher-end shiraz than I was led to believe by the Parker note, and boding well for mid-term development. The palate continued the lineup of "big" flavour profiles we had observed in the tasting, but was marked with an exceptional balance and the added influence of the savoury and spice elements noted on the nose. The finish was almost as lengthy as the '02 G.A.M., and sailed effortlessly from black fruit to spice, ending on the only unfortunate note: a very slight touch of VA. Still, one of my favourites of the tasting, and a great candidate for mid-term cellaring.
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Decanted half a bottle while reserving the other half for the following day in an empty .375. After 2 hours in the decanter, this jet-black wine continues to throw off black fruit and oak. Very smooth tasting, much better than the last bottle and in great form. 2nd Day - Wine held its flavors and weight nicely. Only slightly softer in feel, with a little more graphite than on day 1. Still very enjoyable.
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Decanted 2hrs. Dark dark colour. Flowers,spice & jammy fruit soaring out of the decanter. On the palate this is definately a fruit-bomb, but one that's dressed in its Sunday best, on its way to church and has just been given a good dressing down by its Mother to be on its best behaviour or else. Lots of weight, nice integrated gentle oak & jammy friut, with road tar & flowers along for the ride. A little acid along the middle complements the pizza nicely. Nice.
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Dark, inky with a garnet rim. Big fruity nose with blueberry and blackberry. Intense full body with smooth tannins. Massive rich flavours; blackberry, cherry, liquorice and pepper spice. A little vanillin and oak on the long, long finish.
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This showed very well. Pour to decanter, let sit 30 min. Color dark cherry red at the rim to opaque black at the center, full body. Full intensity perfumed nose verging on explosive, with ripe blackberry and black cherry reduction, a little meatiness, baking spice, mint and vanilla - clearly Aussie in character and there is also depth that places this above ordinary shiraz. Hits the palate with large waves of rich black fruits, saline, licorice, earth, white pepper, with a bit of alcohol peeking through at times. Long, extracted finish (45s+) of many of the same flavors. Medium acid, tannins soft and refined. This is our first time trying the '05, and having had the '04 on 8 or 9 occasions I agree with JDunnick in that it does not quite approach the '04 in terms of underlying structure, and complexity. Nevertheless this is outstanding and very delicious. A solid 92.
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Very dark, medium to full body with smell and taste of greenish fruit. Essentially all fruit and nothing else. Quite disappointing and far cry compared to the 2004 vintage.
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Decanted half a bottle for 30 mins, consuming over 2 hours, and reserved the other half for the following evening. While I've enjoyed many bottles of this in the passed, this was not a good showing for this wine. Disjointed, tart, a bit of eucalyptus and tannic. Could sense the underlying fruit, but it was disjointed. . Day Two - Wine had softened and become less alcohol-forward, with fruit more prominent but not better integrated. Last bottle of this was a year ago, and much better than this. Either this was an off bottle or the wine is entering a dumb phase. Try again within 6 months to confirm one way or the other.
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I'm going to give this the benefit of the doubt and say that it's too young and that's why it's disjointed, out of balance and painful in the mouth. Hopefully it will resolve and my other 5 bottles will be more palatable with time. Otherwise, I made a mistake in purchasing these.
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Decanted a magnum about 2-3 hrs. Dark ruby red. Dark fruit with hints of spice, earth. Tannins were velvety. Nice finish. A great shiraz enjoyed by all who tried it.
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What we have here is yet another shiraz with big dark berry fruit, minimum complexity, a medium finish, and a $40 USD.(approx.) pricetag. Tannins were tame and alcohol was well in balance. Can't help but describe this as straightforward, but big nonetheless. Expected more complexity, can do better or the same at a lower price point. I like my shiraz fresh and young, guess this could have used more time, but not sure it would evolve. Still worth 90pts...
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Initially I was a bit dissapointed with this vintage. After the initial glycerin subsided when the wine was first released it seemed a bit disjointed. But this could be an unusual Mitolo vintage where the wine starts to improve with age. Seems very good at this point.
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Very nice. Rich, slightly spicy nose and similar palate. Very weighty mouthfeel and chocolatey on the finish. Certainly big, tending to fruit bomb but not too sweet or unbalanced.
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Glorious bottle of wine. Everything in perfect balance. Velvety tannins, well integrated oak and generous fruit. Not an aussie fruit bomb, but rather a wine with a great sense of balance and even finess given it's richness. All black berrys, cherry and mocha with nunaces of vanilla and black pepper.
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Quite complex, smoky, spicy, bacon, vanilla and sweet blueberry. Full body, sweet black fruit with a medium finish. 15.9% alcohol and hiding it well. Outstanding
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This was a large step up from my previous bottle. Looks like the extra time has done this wine very good. Outstanding full body that just rolled around my palate with a beautiful creaminess. The fruit was solid but nicely balanced and structured, it does not punch you in the face as with some other Aussie wines.
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Aussie Shiraz Tasting at Edina C.C.: Nose: Big tar and after aeration blackberry, cassis and raspberry. Palate: A little closed but good acid and bright red fruits. Firm tannins and good acid. This was much more shut down than the last bottle consumed over a year ago (given my experience with '04' could this be a Mitolo trend?). All the components are there for this to be stellar, but when?
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Exploring the wines of Portugal @ Raimondo's (Netherlands): Wow, stay away from this puppy for at least 2 - 3 years. Beautifully composed, absolutely not cloying or too sweet, this wine will reward our patience, for sure. Very primary, inky, floral and dense. Bright, pure and vivid. For now 17/20, with definite upside potential.
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Occasional tasting group: Portugal plus some extra's. (@ RT): Much too young, so I’ll save my other bottles at least another 3 years. At this moment a fruit bomb with mainly black forest fruits. Chocolate and soft tannin. There is good bitterness in the finish. Great concentration. I like this blockbuster style (as well as the more elegant style; depends on the food and the mood.) The first evening the alcohol was well hidden, but the third day it was a little aggressive. I trust with ageing it all falls nicely in place.
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Elegant, tannic and young. Initial impressions of blueberries and chocolate. A little later it hinted at cherries and fennel. Worked well with a variety of foods. Saved some for late in the evening and it wasnt as interesting.
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Wasnt as blown away as I have been with this wine, perhaps my tastes are beginning to evolve. Still an excellent Shiraz but not as striking this time. Decanted this for 3 hours. Perhaps a little too long. It seemed much more flat this time.
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Needed some air. Very good, concentrated, balanced enough to fit with or without food but I have to concur with some here that there is nothing unique enough in the experience to say it's a must have or rare but the qpr is quite solid.
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The nose showed some oak, with coffee, tar and melted licorice. On the palate there was some earth, tar, blackberries and lots of spiciness and pepper on the finish. Full bodied with noticeable but not strong tannins. After several hours in the decanter the wine was very smooth. It went great with lamb chops. High alcohol but it was pretty well contained by this wine. 90-91pts, although this is still quite young so it will likely gain complexity and smoothness in 2-3 years.
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I think maybe my tastes are changing. This just did nothing for me. It wasn't a defective bottle in any way, just blahhh with oak and alcohol and little fruit. I'll let my last bottle sit for another year and give it another shot.
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This is really starting to come into its own. The wine has a wonderful underlying sweetness, and a wonderful finish. It keeps getting better and better.
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Though still a masive shiraz, I found this showing a little more restrained than my first go round with this wine. Huge amounts of boysenberry fruit were nicely buffered by a distinct charcoal edge; a wine to drink slowly as the palate is thick but still remains fresh. I'm optimistic on the future of this wine for the next 6-8 years, should be a lot of fun to track.
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Had with BBQ ribs and baked potatoes. 2 hour decant before dinner. Color is very dark purple in the glass, almost opaque. The nose was initially restrained but showed clove, blackberry, and tobacco. The taste starts off a little hot but calms down. A lot of plumb, tar , mocha, and black fruits, with a long acidic finish. It was a perfect match for the ribs. Very thick in the mouth with refined tannins.
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Decanted 2 hours. Medium bodied. Chocolate,vanilla, a little pepper, blackberry and tar flavors. No tannins and considerable heat that dissipated little after several hours. Dissapointing compared to previous vintages.
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A pleasing nose of tart cherry, deep funky, foxy blackcurrant, floral edge, mocha and a little white pepper. Medium bodied and elegant for a shiraz. Chocolate, woodsy berry, anise and tar flavors. Finishes with wild berry, tar, crisp acids, some tannin and a little heat. The heat and slighty rough finish is a negative. Also lacks a little excitment. I suspect that a couple of years will improve things.
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tasted blind against another shiraz about half the price of the GAM. this was head and shoulders above the other and shows just how good this wine really is. didn't have the anise the last bottle did, but had oodles of black fruit and a long finish. i suppose this will improve with age, but drinking beautifully right now.
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consistently one of the best wines I have ever tasted for the price. Decanted for 3 hours. Abundant fruit at the start with new world complexity without being too oaky. Mid palate is firm but super silky. Tannins are abit over powering due to its age.
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New World Wine Experience 2008 (Crystal Wines): Not sure if it was just me but I didn't smell much except for light airy turpentine. The palate is thick, concentrated and highly-extracted yet the structure is nicely lean mean and doesn't show alcohol burn at all. This is like a fat girl in a miniskirt wearing a tight top. Too much packed into too small a package. This is a 81 + ??? for me because I just couldn't put my finger on the nose.
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Crystal Wines New World Experience 2008 (Valley Point, Singapore): Made by Ben Glaetzer of Glaetzer wines fame - this was somehow nowhere near as good as his own Shiraz, especially the Amon-Ra which we tasted alongside. Dark blackish purple colour. Nose was sweet and very richly fruited, with a touch of meatiness. Neither Alex nor I could quite pick it apart though, because it seemed rather closed and monolithic. Maybe it was going through a dumb phase. Better on the palate, which showed lots of extract, more of that nice meatiness, tons of black fruit, all very thick and concentrated with lots of stuffing. Nice balance though, with velvety tannins and some fresh acid bringing relief to the heavy fruit. Nice long finish with a touch of mocha. Certainly well made, and very hedonistic and voluptuous, but this was not really my style - I found it all a little OTT. May get better as the sweetness tones down a little, but then again, it does seem rather simple and straightforward and I'm not sure if time can cure that.
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fantastic! nose was quite closed off at first. beautiul berries, tar, dark fruits. the palette was really nice. sweet cherries, blackberries. freshness, extremely balanced. slippery tannins. ranked vs. the 04 heartland director's cut, i'd say i like this one better. better balance, really fresh and everything in its place. had a similar sweetness to the wallace. fruit was really vibrant and intense from the 05 vintage. enjoyed this one very much. still young and will improve!
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The color is a rich, deep, dark and brooding purple/black. The nose is -- well -- black fruity syrah. On the palate, the wine is still big, tannic, rich, deep, brooding, and extended. My wife described the wine as rich and kind of plummy -- kind of tasty. It paired well with the home-made osso bucco slow cooked in $2-buck chuck, paired with artichoke heart dip, rich in hearts. There are raisins, plums, and rich, deep, dark fruits, even figs, lurking in this beast. My hunch was that this needs many years -- it does. It is still way, way too, too young to open now. Please wait.
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Good color, as expected from any Australian Shiraz. The first thing that jumped out was the dark fruit. There was quite an alcoholic burn, but beyond that the most noticeable flavor was a strong licorice anis, which blended quite well with the dark fruit. There might have been some other herbs, like eucalyptus and mint. Very distinctive, and pretty enjoyable as well. After being out for a couple hours, it acquired more of an earthy, "bloody" aspect. Very interesting and enjoyable, just a lot of alcohol up front.
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Black Rasberry and spice, very enjoyable. Tried it as part of an Austrailian tasting. I would like to see how I like it if I slowly had a couple of glasses through a long evening. Enough structure to last a few more years.I will revisit another bottle down the road.
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I did compare this to the Elderton Command and the Command is better. Would I rather have two bottles of this Mitolo or one of the Command? OK, Yes I would rather have one bottle of the Command. But, darn it, this is still outstanding. So much wine, my liver may be my largest internal organ but it needs to be bigger.
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I bought this wine based on the reviews here but I must say I was very disappointed. I expected a heavy weight but the bottle I got pales in comparison to other Australian Syrahs. OK I got the licorice and black cherries but not much else and it wasn't even that big. If you compared this to a Mollydooker Two Left Feet the think the MD will probably blow it away in term of intensity. If you compare this to a Elderton Command or a Two Hand's Bella's Garden they will blow it away in terms of complexity granted they're not in the same price point.
In the mouth this wine tasted fine: nothing offensive, nothing outstanding in comparison to other AU and CA Syrah.
For the money I'd load up on the Two Left Feet and splurge on a Bella's Garden every once in a while.
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Decanted approx. 45 minutes before drinking (had a taste also right away, of course). Black berries, hint of oak, liquorice, and black pepper on the nose. Flavours party in the mouth. Tail is long and after the decanting smooth and very enjoyable. Quite a heavy experience.
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Popped and poured. Deep red / purple in the glass. It didn't have much of a nose at first with just pencil lead and muted dark plum. Initial taste was deep and complex with plum and dark fruits along with mocha and some herbal notes. The finish was at least 30 seconds and the wine wine seemed to evolve somewhat over the night.
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Outstanding... Need to try again! This bottle was tasted on a 8btl wine tasting marathon w/ Ben and Mike. Dense, rich black fruits with notes of lavendar, tar, pepper, and meats. Big boy wine at its best.
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Rich, full bodied with loads of lush black fruit flavours (black cherries, licorice, blackberry) with plenty of spice, tannin and structure. 45+ second finish. This Shiraz should drink well for 5-10 years.
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The Sampler (Angel, London): Deep, rich purple in colour. The nose is very savoury - earthy and vegetal characters. The palate is full bodied and intense. Blackberry, blueberry, spice and a whole heap of tannins. Lacking a little finesse and balance.
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typically don't like Shiraz but this black cherry bomb is decent if you're not pairing w/ food. Complex flavors of black cherry and pepper with a long finish. Too hot though.
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Clear, deep ruby with red edges. Clean, medium plus intensity aromas of black and red berry, pepper, spicy oak, coffee and chocolate. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium plus body. Flavors match aromas, with a lingering blueberry finish. Excellent wine. Years of life ahead.
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Sunday Dinner (Jeff McHugh's): Decanted 4 1/2 hours prior to first taste. INCREDIBLE! Upon decant, the aromas consumed my apartment. 4 1/2 hours later, the nose was still incredible fruit and pepper. The palate was overwhelmed with blueberry and pepper, with vanilla and mocha/coffee flavors. Wow. The biggest, most intense wine I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible! Extrordinary - 97 points.
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Lots of explosive fruit. Plums and blackberries with a big old oak monster creeping up behind. BUT the oak monster is friendly! Well integrated oak in the tannins reveals a silky and very smooth wine. Excellent opulent mouth feel is like silk in your mouth. Awesome long finish. Great after a few hours decanted. Very exciting. Parker was almost right on with his 95 plus rating.
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In relation to my previous notes, this was less complex than the earlier bottles (which I'd scored 92-94), but still delicious. Lots of powerful blackberry flavor with some nice brown spice notes. Good finish.
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Australian Shiraz Retailer Tasting: 3rd time I have had this and I've liked it slightly better each time. Still not up to the WA95 though. Dark color with notes of anise, leather and an earthy core of dark fruit. I would not call this a very fruity shiraz though. 91 points.
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Popped and decanted for 6 hours, however, I reserved a small amount in a glass for an initial tasting. Right out of the bottle the nose was rather closed and didn't really offer much...tasted of chocolate, plum, and finished a little hot and tannic which was to be expected. After 6 hours the nose had opened up a little (less than I expected) and I could tell it was trying to do its thing...tasted of black fruit, chocolate...mid palate was nice and finish long; a well balanced wine. Second night was much different, nose had developed much more than prior evening, heat had all but dissipated, and the wine was far better with more subtle notes of raspberry and a little oak showing up...perhaps this should be cellared for another 3 years or so. I would not pass this up if offered and will most likely grab another bottle or two.
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Not as good as usual, perhaps due to the lateness of the hour, food consumed, other wines, etc., but it was just overpoweringly sweet, jammy. Lots of quality there, but not the right time to drink, I suspect. This is a wine to drink when you are HUNGRY for wine.
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Bottle Open: Nose of rubber and spice with black fruit undertones. Not as hot as expected and more multi-layered than most Aussie shiraz. The mouth is a bit muted, but an already luscious, mouth coating wine. Medium finish, accentuated by black fruit. Definitely fruit forward, but so far not an OTP oaky fruit bomb. Impressive. 90+
Two Hour Decant: Nose of black currant, bacon fat, blackberry, black tea, black truffle and a hint of cream. Mouth of red currant, bright red fruit on front palate. Luscious, well-integrated tannins, tart blackberries, plum and christmas spices on the finish. Medium-long finish (I usually don't like putting a time to the finish, but this was easily 60+ seconds), good acidity, not overly creamy. This would do well with some lamb or grilled meats. Really starting to open up. There is A LOT going on here. 92-94
Three Hour Decant: Nose has consistent notes as hour 2, but with a bit more black fruit and cream , although a slightly hot nose. Mouth also had consistent notes as hour 2 - very polished wine - ripe strawberry notes. Not flabby at all. Wait at least another year to open a bottle. Should improve for 3-5 years. This is an OUTSTANDING bottle of shiraz. 94+
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Shoshana's Birthday Wines!: Magnum. 40 quid from Harvey Nichols thanks to the damages label. Cork. 2 hour decant. Riedel Syrah. Dense inky colour. Huge nose of ripe black fruits, graphite, spice, pepper, smoke and a great earthiness. Big rich velvety palate with lots of forward fruit, but like the dead arm, still a little hot. Will try left overs tomorrow. Not going to raid my GAM stash for another year or so!
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Binny's Shiraz Tasting (St. Charles, Illinois): 2nd time I have had this. 100% Shiraz. Medium to full bodied. Notes of mocha and blackberry. I liked this slightly more than my first bottle. 90 points.
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A bit tighter, more alcoholic, and more saline than the last time I had this. Missing was the floral aromas that were so enticing, but this was still a good wine.
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Deep purple in color. Anise, anise, and anise on the nose. Dense black fruit and licorice on the palate. Finish was extremely long and supple. Tannins were present, but definitely not overpowering. Still, a powerful wine at this stage and would be a great pair for a thick slab of meat. The finish was the best part of the wine, and holds promise for greater things from this wine with a few years of cellaring.
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Dense, purple ink with subdued aromas of muscular darkfruit, anise, and mild spice. Full nectar, sturdy tannins, with rich and concentrated blackfruit. The finish is long with brisk acidity and a touch of oak. Cellar for another two years.
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Aussie Wines Offline (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna, CA): I'm kind of bummed by this wine because I actually have quite a bit of it in my cellar. Reductive aromas followed by black raspberry and black cherry on the palate. Very drinkable, but with the wealth of wines at this tasting, just not interesting enough to keep my attention.
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Very well integrated, dark in color. rich blackberry, cola flavors, not tannic but a big shiraz. Decanted for 2 hours, smooth as butter. Twirling a teaspoon in the glass brings up an incredible nose. Finish is very long.
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Opaque purple. Lots of coffee, fresh blackberry and smokey brambles on the rich, solid nose. Charred bramble again on the palate, blackberry and a bit of a sage with a nice grip. A beautiful wine that could use just a bit of acid, but is otherwise thouroughly enjoyable.
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I tasted this bottle five days after it was opened - it had been gassed to preserve. It was prototypical Aussie - loads of creamy, jammy fruit - blueberry, wild strawberry, blackberry! Silky on the palate - I don't love this wine because it doesn't have unique character... but it is a fine bottle of wine if you like Shiraz.
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Initially a rather off-putting green pepper and unpleasant nose. Blew off after awhile. Then much improved nose of black pepper, blackberry and blueberry. Very sweet, spicy and extracted but managed to hide the 15.9 % quite well. Low acidity and soft tannin. Medium length. Very enjoying wine. The last half of the bottle was particularly impressive. Got more complex. Outstanding.
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I know a lot of people like these wines, but I just don't get them. Too much alcohol, too one dimensional. I try and try to give these wines a chance, but I just don't like them. Didn't even go well with food, I had braised lamb shanks. I have one more of these bottles. Maybe it will give me something different in another 2 years.
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This was opened by Anwar at a dinner he hosted at his home including Jcubed and Scubarex. This is the 2nd time I have had a GAM. The first was the 2001 which was almost as big a fruit bomb as this wine. I liked the 2001 better than the 2005. I was unaware of any ratings for this wine before I tried it. Once I tasted it I thought to myself that this is a Parker 96 pointer. When I looked up the score, it turns out I was a point off. Parker gave this 95 points. My score is nowhere close to that. Inky black color. Very thick and viscous. I found be a huge concentrated wine which was all power and very little finesse or balance. It was interested for what it was but not a wine that provided me with a lot of drinking pleasure. Very grapey and chocolatey. Parker called this wine a "tour de force in winemaking". In my opinion this was a "tour de force in woodworking". This was one of the most oaky wines I have tried. Thought I would be pulling splinters out from between my teeth after this wine. 87-88 points.
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This is a limited review. Consumed by parents at Cate's 6th B-day. My memory is that it was rich, but young. Needs time. Has some thick sherry-like quality. Not yet open. Hidden fruit. Check in when Cate is 12.
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Dark ruby. Spicy, vanilla, oak, cedar and scorched earth. Quite sweet, spicy and juicy in the mouth. Very heavy. Had a instant headache after a couple glasses. On day 2, blueberry and secondary aroma of kirsh, leather and long sweet oak. Not as heavy but still not hiding the alcohol. 88 points on day 1 and 91 on day 2.
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Decanted for 2 hours before serving. What a delicious wine! Blackberry, black tea, spice box and a hint of licorice. A well balanced and long finish. I can't wait to try this wine with 2 years of cellar time
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Popped and poured. A little reticent at first, took about 1/2 hour to wake up, remember to decant if drinking again. After opening up, great nose of black fruit and anise. Dense and powerful on the palate with blueberry, black currant, and black pepper. Finishes spicy and a little hot, very young and primary right now. Superb now, will improve with age. Screaming value @ $37.
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Wow. Great bottle, dominated by brown spices and roasted herbs unlike I've noticed in the G.A.M.'s before. Beautiful fruit underneath, blackberry, black cherry, and cassis, as elegant and balanced as I've ever experienced a Mitolo wine to be. From 375 ml screwtop.
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nose: real seductive nose. Getting a nice strong bit of rasberry, blackberry, vanilla, and some candied cherry. real poweful and pungent
taste: real big mouth feel. Getting the blackberry, cherry, and rasberry aspects on the mouth. Really coats your pallate here
overall: a real high quality wine. Real good firm structure. THe tannins are kicking a bit, but that's just to be expected. It leaves a real good finish. This isn't very over the top either, the fruit is forward, but it integrates very well on the whole. An extremely well made wine
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Wonderful as usual. Needs aeration, though for best results. Three hours decanted, in fridge, covered, then brought to drinking range (mid 60s?) was the best.
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Bought with dinner at Cascadia for $80. Good and silky, but a little too restrained after the Buty which our party liked better. Admittedly a tough act to follow.
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Very good! Dark red, bordering on purple colour. Rich, velvety texture with smooth tannins and little acidity. The fruit is proiminent but not overwhelming - blueberries and ripe plums - without being over-sweet or overdone. Lower alcohol than some Aussie Shiraz's - this is still defininitely New World Shirax, yet it has a hint of old-world complexity to round out the ripe, fruity flavour. Really pleasant wine to savour on it;s own or with food (meat, roasts, braai). Doesn't need much decanting to be drinkable, which is nice. Cork closure.
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375ml bottle. Consistent with previous note, with this one being a little more primary (perhaps because sharing a half-bottle resulted in less development from time in the air...). Very nice, rich, well-balanced wine.
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Unfortunately I didn't have the time to decant but noted that it did open up tremendously over a couple of hours. Hot at first, which was expected, but settled down to show tremendous fruit and great balance. I haven't been a big Aussie fan as of late but this shows a lot of promise for the future and will pick up a few more to try in a few years.
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2 hour decant. The more, the better. 4-6 hrs is probably ideal to soften this up, unless you like to get slapped in the face with tons of fruit and tannin.
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Popped, decanted for an hour, married with grilled fillet mignon rubbed with herbes de provence, salt, pepper (mushroom wine sauce included the GAM.) Delicious accompaniment to the steaks. However, I think the wine was just starting to show its nuances. To bad there was none left to contemplate after dinner.
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Served a bit on the cool side. I think this needs more time to decant than 15 minutes I gave it. Even then, it was still too cool, as fruits were muted. That vanilla, flower scent poked through, but not with the same intensity as last times. Very good wine, nevertheless.
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Drunk after a 2005 Turley Old Vines Zin, this had none of the structure that the Turley showed. A total fruit bomb, this had no nuance or character to it. If you like your wines big and primary, load up on this one.
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I was not impressed with this style of wine. Largely medicinal in flavor, it was a raspberry and blackberry bomb in my mouth and lacked true depth and did not unfold over time into a winner. Maybe I just don't like these Australian styles of wine????
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Even after a two hour decant, the nose was still rather pensive, showing blackberry, bramble, some vanilla, and pepper. The core of blackberry fruit was tight and focused with nice lift and good (but not yet outstanding) length. There were also a few nuances such as a smokey, burnt ashpalt quality that I don't usually get in a young GAM (I know RP does, but I don't...). I expect this bottle will merit a score around 95 once some rough edges soften and the finish lengthens. I don't find the alcohol obtrusive at all, but the components seem just a little disjointed. Still, a very pleasurable bottle with tremendous upside. I really like these right at release and at 5+ years out.
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Paired with filet mignon, mushroom risotto and tomato with goat cheese. Excellent as always. Completely overpowered a couple of 1996 & 1997 Napa Cabs that were also being served. Hard to compete with a youthful Aussie like Mitolo.
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G.A.M. never fails to please me. Right out of the gate this shiraz was packed and ready to go. Intense forward fruit balanced by bracing acidity. With time, the mouth feel deepened, became more rich and creamy, and the acid took a step back to let some of the oak show through.
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Double decanted for 20 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark magenta/purple in color. On the nose, dark berries, minerals, and light spice. On the palate, blueberries, black raspberries, espresso, and vanilla on the very long 30-second finish. Well-structured and balanced with a lively acidity, this wine displays a laser-like precision. Though perhaps lacking the intoxicating sexiness of an Old World Rhone, the quality of the pure fruit shines through and never fails to please.
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Had this wine in 2 nites. This wine needs long time decanting. On first nite was very acoholic and Tannic. Very full but hot acohol. Almost porty like. On the 2nd nite it became alot better. Bouquet of Dark Plums and Cedary oak and Black berries and cassis. Mind you it is still abit hot in second nite but much more approchable. Palate is Very full and Rich with dark cocoa and Vanilla. It is Very Smooth and Rich like thick cream. Somehow Acohol feels stronger than 14.5%. Very well made wine but I was expecting much more as Ben Glaetzer is considered geneus in Wine making. I've got a bottle of Amon Ra 2005, I hope it is alot better! You will either love this or hate it!
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Consistent with others. The nose was "shy," probably b/c I didn't decant, but just left the wine out for a bit in open bottle, and again in the glass. A very smooth and complex wine.
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i'm a huge fan of barossa valley shiraz but after 4 hr decant this was still closed hopefully this will be better in a few years. right now it's just black fruits and alot of oak.
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Decanted and poured immediately, and let it wait in the glass for half an hour before tasting. That first taste was a little dismaying, the wine was shy on the nose and a little closed on the palate, too. After another two hours it began to come alive, first with blueberry and spices, with a delightful note of orange peel. At three hours it was still opening up, but was becoming richer and darker, with blackberry and creme de cassis, and smoky, cedar notes, and the finish was growing broad and long. I suspect it could have used another couple hours in the decanter, and I think I might hold off at least until early 2008 before trying this again. Really outstanding right now, but I expect that there may be a couple more points to be gained by further development and a better showing. Side note: Curious to try this soon after tasting the '05 Amon-Ra to see how the wines compared in the same vintage. The Amon-Ra is distinctive for its lithe acidity and exceptional elegance, showing a gymnast's stength in comparison to the brawn of the G.A.M, but I think the G.A.M. is still coming together. The '05 G.A.M. doesn't seem to be quite the wine the '04 was at this stage.
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Quite simply one of the best wines I have ever had. This wine had an unearthly perfume of exotic flowers and spices. Very pleasant fruit and a fine finish. Absolutely superb. Decanted two bottles into a clean flower vase, covered with foil in the refrigerator for three hours, then at room temperature for about an hour.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Rather than go into great details recapping tasting descriptors, nose profile etc, I would rather summarize on the tasting experience here. Super deep, concentrated dark blackberry flavors assault the palate, with waves and waves of flavor. The new oak, while aggressive, was in sync with the fruit and didn’t distract from the primordial drinking experience. Tannins were sweet and juicy, providing a much needed foundation to hold this house together. The most amazing thing about this wine is that I kept thinking to myself “ok, yeah the fruit is killer , blah blah blah, but its going to get tired soon after a glass or two”. Never happened. Somehow, things stayed fresh enough to keep me coming back for more, all the while providing a hedonistic black fruit spectacular. Not my normal cup of tea, but very well done Shiraz.
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Ne Plus Ultra: The 95 & up club: WA95. huge! wow. just a baby in it's aging potential. big puckering tannins, tremendous fruit extraction. nice oak integration.
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Once Upon a Vine XIII - New Orleans, LA by Martin Wine Cellar (Pavillion of Two Sisters): HEY!!! Who doesn't love the Mitolo G.A.M..........This is a big 'ole Mumba Juhumba mouth fulla fruit. Of course, there's the ridiculously high Aussie residual sugar, but to tell the truth, its not as bad as some. I really love the G.A.M. and the Elderton Command. They're probably my two favorite Aussie's in this price range. Big fruity nose of black currant, figs, blackberry jam, cherry pie, fruit punch, and even a hint of stone and mineral. Tannins are velvety soft and balance nicely with the gobs of fruit. Big mouth full of cherries, ripe blackberry, figs, berry pastry, mayhaw jelly, and a little bit of an interesting sandy beach flavor. You've got to knwo what you're getting into, but if you are a New World fan and you don't mind the fruit bombs, then this is one that isn't too over the top and provides tons of flavor. A real delight to drink and I need to put a few in my cellar. I, personally, think that these wines will age quite gracefully. If you love the G.A.M. , try the Savitar. I prefer it because its a Shiraz/Cabernet blend, and in my opinion, it has a little less juicy fruit and a little more complexity.
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Same notes as before, smokey tar on the nose, licorice and black fruit with a bracing finish over the juicy fruit. It's an outstanding wine at any price point, but as it is quite affordable, truly extraordinary. 94
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Decanted for about three hours prior to first taste. Decanted deep plum-black coloring, but not as syrupy as many young shiraz. Cigar and faint blueberry on the nose. Had strong alcohol early on, which diminished during the 2 hour drinking window after the 3hr. decant. Great fruit, a hint of tar, cedar and a little sweetness - also early on, and fading a bit over time. Very approachable today, at least with the air we allowed, and should last for many years to come. A definate buy at the $39 I typically see it for locally.
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Took a good 30 minutes in the glass to even begin to show what was to come. Deep dark, blues and reds in the glass, nearly opaque right up to the edge. Huge blueberry, blackberry, chocolate, coffee aromas jumped from the glass. Leather notes, spice, earth, forest, red/blue/black fruit compote. Very long, smooth and well integrated. No heat at all. This wine is showing very well today, but holds a lot of promise for two or more years of bottle age.
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Nose of violet candies, blackberry liquer and leather. undertones of heat as well. Fresh and bright red and black fruit attack the palate immediately. acidity takes over on the mid palate through the lingering finish... giving the impression that the wine is lighter than it is. almost a refreshing finish that invites another taste to see what you may have missed. Still opening up as we finished - consumed too quickly (1-2hrs). This has a ways to go.
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Simply awesome bottle of wine. AC and I shared this as well as the 04 larkmead cab. Both were equally impressive. The GAM was a bit tight at first, so we got into the larkmead initially. After about an hour in the decanter, this was phenomenal. Smooth as could be; big and fruity but elegant as anything I've ever had. Best shiraz of the year by far. Glad I have two more in the cellar!
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This bottle was somewhat closed at first. I had a bit right out of the bottle while the rest decanted for about 2 hours. This wine got better and better as time lapsed. Very dense and opaque. Full bodied and full flavored. A nice spicy, long lingering finish with excellent balance. I am extremely impressed again.
40+5+5+18+19+9=96
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Really inky color. Nose of candied fruit and vanilla. Flavors of blackberry, currant and cedar and more vanilla. Full bodied with a great velvety mouthfeel. 30 second finish that made you want to taste the wine all over again. Great stuff and a great value.
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Agree with mmurry, a little expensive for what your getting and not sure how much better it will get although I feel it has some good potential. Also agree with this needs at least 2 or more years in the cellar. Decanted for 5 hours. Dark fruit that was restrained and touches of vannilla, still a little tannic after the 5 hour decant. 88 pts now with long decant time, will have to see how it develops in a few years.
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Absolutely awesome wine. Young and fruity and big and up-to-the-challenge. What can I say - one of the finest, hugest wines I have had the privilege of drinking. Great nose, huge fruit and a smooth finish that lasts for days. Some may classify this wine as a three-course meal. I want seconds. And a midnight snack.
I will be happily spending my next paycheck on as much of this as I can get. Will age beautifully for a long time. Definitely in my top 10 all time.
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Very nice shiraz, with as much staying power as the Oliverhill Jimmy Section but with more elegance. Enough fruit and tannin to let this one go past the usual 3-4 year window I see most Australian shiraz surviving before the fruit becomes victim to the alchohol. Now one of my top go-to Australian wines, along with Two Hands and Oliverhill. Getting a 6 pack to see how it evolves.
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Amazing Aussie Tasting- 38 Wines (Binny's, Schaumburg, IL (NW Suburbs - Chicago)): Fabulous wine. Deep purple color. Intoxicating aromas of blueberry, blackberry, leather, licorice, pepper, spice and earth. Intense, concentrated and layered flavors in the mouth. Incredible balance and structure creates a regal mouthfeel. Every bit as good as the amazing 2003 and 2004 vintages, maybe even better. Deep and complex wine with 45+ second finish. Expect this wine to get better over the next several years in the bottle. The overall quality that Mitolo has delivered over the last 3 years has few rivals. Stunning value at $42.
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Clean black color. Rich, full nose. Leather and earth on the nose. Complex, big wine. Lingering long finish. This is a big, full Shiraz. I did not want to crack early, but due to circumstances beyond my control involving a reason to pre-maturely anticipate a possible future celebration, we said, "what the hell." This is a full bodied wine -- lead pencil, glycerin, coffee, tar, and molasses. This is an amazingly full and complete wine considering its very young age. Holy shit, this is going to blow out the doors in a few years. Saddle leather, aged wood, mushrooms, and only a distant whif or echo of the underlying fruit. This is the opposite of a fruit bomb. This is deep, rich, and elegant. The word is "rich". I am amazed at what a showing this brooding beast makes in its adolescence. Please do you and your friends a favor -- buy all of this you can find -- now. Luckily, in our little backwoods government controlled oasis, its here. Is it there?
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Australia & New Zealand (Farpointe Cellar): This wine was tasty, but a bit expensive. The nose had a good balance of black currant, cherry, and pepper. There was also some vanilla. The palate was black currant and cedar, plus a hint of forest floor. The finish was good too.
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Decanted for 3hrs. Dark ruby red/purple in colour. Tight on the nose at first, but opened up nicely after a few minutes to give a nose of sour cherries, clove, mushrooms, wood chips with underlying earthy tones. Flavors of dark cherries and plum, asparagus, with a little bit of heat on the mid palate. Long finish with some heat and an abundance of firm tannins. Pucker city! Approach again in 5 years.
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Big fruit, smokey, tar and licorice. Seems to be drinking well now after a couple of hours. Very nice value, as can be found for around $30. 5+13+17+9=94
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Yup, this one deserves it. An entry, saline in its intensity, is simply stunning, and a buttery, unctuous finish closes out the towering mouthfull. Between the two was gobs of dark fruit, a hint of smoke and earth. Wow. What a killer wine. I could have drunk the entire bottle. Lip-smackingly delicious and for the price, a great value. I need more.
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Decanted for 2 hours. This shiraz exhibited a dark purple color with the color getting a bit lighter on the tinges. On the nose, aromas of raspberries, blackberries, plum with hints of pepper and dark chocolate. On the palate, flavors of blackberries and sweet plums rushed to my mouth quickly followed by hints of toffee, coffee, and dark chocolate leading into a smooth, lush finish. Well integrated fruit with nice acidity and tannin structure. Another impressive 2005 Mitolo Shiraz. HS94
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Ever since I first tried Two Hands wine, I've been looking for a shiraz I liked as much. I've tried pretty much all the sandard Austrailan big name shiraz and be disapointed again and again. Mitolo GAM was one of the few remaining to try. This time I wasn't disappointed. Dark color, silky mouth feel, full body, black fruit, peper. Just fanastic, I'll be seeking out more of this for my cellar. Excellent!
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Decanted hours after delivery for evaluation purposes (hahaha!) this is going to be a great bottle of wine after it settles down. Bright ruby, a touch muted on the nose, some initial sweet redfruits, offers hints of deep blackfruit, currant, spices, mild pepper. Seems balanced, very promising. Harvested at 2.3 tonnes per acre, 16 months in 70% new oak. 94+
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Now that this is on the shelves I had to give it a go. So new the bottom of the cork is barely pink. We were stunned how drinkable this is. Close to black in colour and initially largely closed to the nose, this came right out of the bottle with beautiful, well developed and smooth flavours of coffee, dark fruit, toffee and back end spice. Still slightly out of balance and promising great things for the future, but absolutely delicious now.
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10/21/2022 - ddhanraj wrote: 92 Points
Well this was a huge surprise big bold fruit typical Shiraz. Decanted 3 hours lots of sediments need to be strained. Maybe another year if cellared properly.
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4/24/2022 - Tim336 wrote: 92 Points
Compared to the 2004 (under cork), the 2005 (under screwcap) is holding up beautifully. Even evolved a bit over the evening. A big, classic Aussie shiraz with enough structure to handle the high alcohol and big fruit. Not sure this will improve any further but great drinking now.
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9/24/2021 - behm0027 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still drinking beautifully. Popped and poured. Lots of dark fruit and anise. Full bodied, acidity still going strong. Drink now or hold another couple years.
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7/17/2021 - valecnik wrote: 90 Points
Massive smoky oak fruit and lots of warmth ftom the 14.5% alcohol. Still super lively after all these years, with great acidity. For the style this is absolutely on point, and well made, but it's hard to appreciate. Maybe in the dead of winter curled up in front of a fire...
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5/9/2021 - Marc wrote: 94 Points
Last bottle, best bottle. Even at 14.5%, this comes across as reminiscent of old-school South Australian Shiraz. Lovely sweet oak, gorgeous and classic shiraz character. The development of the wine (under stelvin) is marvellous, with a lot of sediment caking the bottle (requires careful decanting). The typical sweetness of the expression of terroir is matched by the leather, smoke and tangy fruit. This is a very big wine. and it certainly shows its alcohol, but I felt the wine had rare balance and poise for such a style. Really fie wine.
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3/7/2021 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice ruby just starting to brick, open nose black fruits dominate, big body but the fruit is starting to fade, still has good overall balance with a nice long finish. Time to drink-up it is on the downward part of the curve.
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12/25/2020 - burgund Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very well made Australian shiraz - not used to taste 15 year old Australian wine, that also improves as well as last.
Still black dark colour. Initially quite a lot of barnyard blew away after 0,5 hour and on day two leftover.
Smoth and sweet as well as very round taste, that is very long with some leather and green pepper notes. Delightful, controlled and sweet wine with plenty of power behind.
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10/23/2020 - xiangjing91 Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a good spot right now, probably at its peak. Dark garnet in colour. Nose of plum and dark fruits. Tannins are fine and ripeness on the palate. The finish is medium length.
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10/20/2020 - Paul Lin wrote: 89 Points
This wine is in a really good spot right now. Notes of blueberry, brown sugar, mocha, milk chocolate and a hint of Mounds bar. Both rich and supple but with enough acid (additions) to not make it cloying.
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9/22/2020 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #047:Shiraz/Syrah, Australia, France and South Africa. (By AG): Deep and lingering bouquet with cherries, blackberries and some leather. Same on the palate, Juicy and fresh acidity, some menthol and sweetness. Really nice wine.
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9/5/2020 - sortcode wrote: 89 Points
5.9.2020:+ Kräftige dunkle Früchte, Wacholder, Pfeffer, Rauch und Leder, dez Terpentin, samtig, etwas Zimt, dez Tanine, noch sehr präsent trotz 15Jahre, hat noch Potential +3 Jahre
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8/26/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
At full maturity now - big fruit, not a tremendous finish. Nice mouthfeel. I prefer the 2004 which I've had several times, but this is not too far off.
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1/1/2020 - Snowey Likes this wine:
Had at NYE birthday party alongside a lovely dinner. Really enjoyable special bottle with pronounced well integrated flavors and smooth tannins.
Would love to have some on hand!
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12/25/2019 - tgkswine wrote: 89 Points
This bottle is slightly past it’s prime. Still enjoyable with dark fruits and good acidity with our Christmas tamales but it is fading by the glass as it oxidizes. This was my last bottle, which is a good thing.
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11/8/2019 - AB16 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle in cellar at castaway restaurant in kaanapali, Maui. Badly weathered label but cork came out fine and wine was wonderful. On the ripe side, but nice balance and secondary earthy flavors
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10/25/2019 - Bull at a gate Likes this wine:
Full bodied, raspberry, tobacco. Secant for 1-2 hours
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10/25/2019 - Bull at a gate wrote:
Eucalyptus , full body, raspberry Needs to decant for an hour or two. Drinking well
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6/10/2019 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous, modern South Australian Shiraz - gorgeous fruit, marvellous oak integration, supple structure, candied notes. Opened tight, closed, and structured, but opened beautifully within 30 minutes. This feels as if it is at its apex of development, but will continue to evolve (and might just improve) for another 5-10 years...
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2/11/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #320; Three completely different, but pleasurable flights. (@ My place): Dark berries, leather and eucalyptus in the bouquet. On the palate juicy dark berries, beautiful acidity and round tannin with still a good bite. This wine can easily last another 3+ years.
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10/23/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple color despite the age. Nose is maybe a bit reticent with slightly pruned blackberry and some saddle leather. At a great point with spry blackberry, pepper, caressing tannins and a bit of stank. Finishes pretty long for its age. Maybe the best of all the bottle. I wouldn’t wait to drink these but they probably have a couple more years left.
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10/17/2018 - Psdycp wrote: 92 Points
Delicious nose of ripe blueberries, dark chocolate, vanilla oak, toasty spices and hints of eucalyptus. On the palate, there are intense black fruits, plums, licorice, star anise and black pepper in a very long mid-palate. Some freshness in this full-bodied wine, not jammy, it has a rounded structure with a powerful 30 secs finish. Not subtle at all in the palate but it is also not everything in your face type of presentation. Good layering of flavours as you draw air into your mouth. Just some acid bite at the back as you swallow. Still young at heart. Can be drunk now with no decanting but given its density of fruit, right dose of acidity with soft tannins as a support, it will continue to improve with age for the next 2-3 years.
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9/29/2018 - drmarclevine wrote: 90 Points
Difficult wine to evaluate. Threw lots of sediment and had huge barnyard funk for the first 10 minutes. Then the nose got jammy and port-like. Then after another 45 minutes it settled back into blueberry and wet wood. Very ripe in the mouth with pruney black plums. Dark and brooding with flashes of acid peeking through the density. A bit overdone for me.
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8/6/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
The alcohol and overwrought nature of this wine has mostly resolved. Prunes and cherries in the nose, flavors are dark but pleasant, dark chocolate Chukar cherry, cocoa, hints of prunes, leather.
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8/3/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Had a glass after dinner. Wow. Still very dark and concentrated, in colour, with only a tinge of bricking on the rim. Nose is a little muted, hints of berry and dark cherry with some mature notes. Palate is thick, ripe and rich. Sweet with blackberry and black plum fruit. Still some juicy tannins and fine mild tannins. No hint of the taint in the prior bottle, this is sweet and pure. Long lasting finish as well. Delicious. Look forward to following this over a couple of days.
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6/25/2018 - Hamersly wrote: 91 Points
Great concentration and intensity. Good balance, with clean acids and dusty tannins. Should hold a couple more years.
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5/23/2018 - mats13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfectly mature and in the zone, should be there for another 5 yrs easy I would think. Big (but not over the top), dark fruit with a little bite that subsided after about 30 min. Great balancing act with the acidity.
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5/19/2018 - lek55 wrote: 87 Points
A once majestic wine, alas, this bottle had passed its prime. Was properly stored, but nevertheless . . . If you have a bottle left, drink it up promptly.
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1/13/2018 - cabellis wrote: 82 Points
Sadly, I waited too long to drink what was once a tremendous wine. Way over the hill.
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11/19/2017 - thebonnydooner wrote: flawed
Still concentrated, but beginning to pick up a little flawed note - not as sweet nor as aromatic as would have expected. Not sure that the excess alcohol is playing some games with the aging of this.
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11/6/2017 - dave747400 wrote: 92 Points
Audouzed 3hrs, with sirloin steak & sweet potato. Dark heart with the merest glimmer of translucence at the edges. Sweet fruit on entry, mouth filling & broad. Still a memory of vanilla haunting it's passage, tannins & an almost citrus acidity cavorting over my grateful tastebuds en-route to a lingering finish. Best Aussie Shiraz I can recall. Delicious.
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10/22/2017 - guitarguy Does not like this wine: 83 Points
The overheated nature of wines from the Land Down Under seemed to peak about this time and this wine is showing the flaws of too high and alcohol with too ripe a fruit manifesting as an oxidized, pruning nature in the wine. This is from 750 with excellent storage so I can't see that being an issue. In the nose we find alcohol and baked prune notes. On the palate the baked, slightly oxidized plum notes hide a strapping acidity, cracked pepper and forest notes. Sad to say but I would recommend a quick consumption before the baked nature wins completely.
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9/5/2017 - PimpDaddy2Kool Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still delicious. It's all downhill from here, so drink up.
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7/16/2017 - PimpDaddy2Kool Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely at it's peak...drink if you got 'em. Inky purple in color. Wonderful nose of black fruit. Palate has lots of black fruit, licorice, and pepper. Full bodied and long finish. Delicious.
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5/30/2017 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep purple, nose of crushed blueberries, thinner and vanilla. Flavors are lean, but maybe aging some, I'd drink up in the next 1-2 years. Blueberry, pepper, hydrocarbon and an acidic finish.
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5/21/2017 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
Opened by Mark. 4th time I have had this wine. Similar notes as before but the oak is less prevalent. 89 points.
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5/21/2017 - mnoljo wrote: 89 Points
A little overdone but holding up. Not quite my style. More time?
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4/26/2017 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
Think this has reached its peak. Lots of blueberry and pepper, maybe some plum, somewhat sweet but good acidity to match.
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4/19/2017 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Still tasty, and still packed with pure blackberry and blueberry fruit, with espresso bean, olive, and cocoa notes adding complexity. Probably at peak; drink in the next two or three years.
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3/27/2017 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
One of the best I've opened, I think this '05 is in a great place, with meaty, blueberry and pepper flavors. May not hold up more than a day opened so drink within 24 hours.
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2/10/2017 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
This is opening up beautifully with lovely savoury game and smoke character. Very broad and warm climate on the nose and palate, this is suave and feels like it has achieved a resolution of early to mid maturity. It will continue to develop but with further age, I think one may run the risk of the wine losing some verve. Supple finish.
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1/22/2017 - CU wrote: flawed
Either flawed or declining rapidly.
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11/26/2016 - hlip wrote: 86 Points
Robert Parker big
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9/19/2016 - Recoveringimporter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Savory and complex. Less fruit forward and more secondary flavors. Could age longer but why?
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9/7/2016 - peterk wrote:
Time to drink up
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8/7/2016 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Generously full-bodied with black currant and dark cherry accompanying some mint and leathery secondary nuances. Pleasantly middle-aged, and thankfully lacks that malty, sour-milk finish that bothers me about so many McClaren Vale syrahs. Should drink fine thru 2020. Great with smoked brisket.
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4/30/2016 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took to dinner with future in-laws of the daughter. Decanted about 90 minutes. In a good place. A bit of a crowd pleaser with the full bodied black and purple fruits. Alcohol and tannins pretty much gone. Nice finish.
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4/9/2016 - ogres3 wrote: 93 Points
Drinking really well. Inky purple. Lush fruits. As my supply dwindles I'm enjoying these more and more.
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3/18/2016 - GraemeBell wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well. Actually improved over 3 nights. Resolved tannins. A little jammy. Pencil shavings.
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3/11/2016 - markmontgo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully now!
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3/3/2016 - Barry Raterink Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking very well - lots of dark fruit but also very vibrant and a great finish. Very much a new world Shiraz but man oh man a good one. One more left to drink.
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2/23/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4+ hours. Paired with homemade pot roast & Brussel sprouts.
Aroma - After 4 hours - still a pretty heavy alcoholic nose. Berrries -Blueberry, raspberry, cherry. Floral up front, followed by Gardenia's. Alcohol is dominant.
Color: Garnet, dark ruby red. Not as inky as our recent shiraz's.
Flavor: Mild, restrained tannins up front. Not nearly as much alcohol as the aroma suggested. Not very prickly on the tongue and sides of the mouth. This wine actually seems pretty smooth, mature but restrained. Complex layers, chalky, tartness, but no berry bomb. Very good, mature, adult wine. A pleasure.
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1/4/2016 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group #199; New years tasting with some young and mature wines (@ My place): A lot of sweet impressions of ripe dark berries, menthol and eucalyptus. On the palate ripe dark and red forest fruits, a lot of sweetness, but also good acidity. The tannin is round and mild, but in fact still very youthful. Beautiful New World wine. Have one more bottle and I should try to save it for 2018 or later. (After open for 5 days at cellar temperature, not any signs of decline yet!)
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12/30/2015 - rama wrote:
Wet leather and a touch of heat on the nose. Black fruit, sweet, smooth tannins on the palate. Touch of salinity and brightness gives it length.
Was hoping for more secondary notes in this 10 year old, but still quite enjoyable.
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11/21/2015 - carstenf wrote: 90 Points
10 years old with cap.
Fresh in style , not heavy in style. Nice wine.
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10/18/2015 - Janstan Likes this wine: 91 Points
dark fruit, had alone, little tannin
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7/24/2015 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
On the mild end of the fruit bomb spectrum with good secondary flavors, oak, and tannins to balance it. Acid is good.
PDQ93+
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7/1/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice and good value. Fruit black and blue, integrated, complex but not overly interesting. Very long finish.
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6/18/2015 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big, brawny and inky/purple in the glass. Nice bouquet and tannins well resolved.
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5/18/2015 - Iam Redwood wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color - Yum. Still great mellow fruit. Raspberry, velvety tannins. Looking forward to the next one.
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3/30/2015 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Rich and echt-Australian shiraz. Paired with a dish of duck confit with roast fresh figs and a duck stock glaze, this was a stunning match. Unlike 5 years ago, tonight the 15% alcohol did not intrude and the over-the -top aspects of he wine at that stage have moderated into a wine in early maturity. Rich and warm shiraz fruit, masses of burnt rubber, plenty of American oak and leathery and earthy complexity have lifted this wine into a different level of complexity. I would suggest that based on this showing, the wine will continue to improve and develop new layers. It is absolutely worth drinking now, although I will keep my next bottle for another 3 years. Classic Aussie shiraz that pays hommage to the old-school style but adds the (Parkerized) high alcohol and pushed ripeness levels.
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3/21/2015 - Recoveringimporter wrote: 93 Points
Flavorful, fantastic nose that straddles between youthful fruits (blackberries, cassis, cherries) and mature secondary flavors (cedar and tobacco). It doesn't disappoint, delivering full rich and complex flavors that last for over a minute after you drink.... with I had much more. Alas only 2 bottles remain.
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3/9/2015 - ron m wrote:
Good for the style. Very rich, dark berry profile, yet nicely balanced. Some wild herbs add interest. Still tannic on day 1, and drank better on the second day when it showed more mellow.
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2/16/2015 - PlanetX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicely balanced. Mouth filling but not overbearing. Appealing dark fruits but not overly sweet. Still has years to go.
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2/13/2015 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 88 Points
Concentrated, juicy black fruits on the nose, with brambly fruit elements. Extremely concentrated on the palate, pure black fruit with notes of black olives and cedar notes on the finish. There's a savory, cured meat note on the mid-palate, but the sweet black cherry and plum fruit dominates. The luscious fruit is impressive, but the oak influences detract from the overall for me.
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2/8/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nearing the end of long run with GAM shiraz. Lamenting not having a few cases more. Maybe should get back into the Oz wine market.
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2/6/2015 - Grape Stuff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour. No formal notes. Blackberry dominated, bing cherry, vanilla, with a spicy black fruit pie note on the finish. Tannins are moderate and sweet, well integrated. Balanced, and no need to wait to pop these.
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2/3/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
MWS Wine Tasting and Dinner (Restaurant De Burgemeester *, Linschoten, Netherlands): Quite the opposite in style to the Barbarine 2007 it was paired with, little nose but rich and big palate, hint of heat (15% ABV), powerful, ripe fruit, structured, no lack of minerality or energy, impressive but still a bit monolithic.
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1/10/2015 - cabellis wrote: 92 Points
This is a great wine that I loved five years ago more than I do now. It is still a great shiraz for the money but has probably peaked and will not last many more years. I love this wine with hamburgers or ribs but had it last night with some great fried oysters and grits from Long Island Cafe, Isle of Palms, SC.
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1/3/2015 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a great bottle of Shiraz! 10 years old with a brick red colour. Lots of sediment built up near the neck and shoulder. On the nose, tar, dark rich juicy fruits, cotton candy. On the palette, everything has nicely integrated. Just a pleasure to taste with a long finish. The tannins are soft and well integrated now. I don't get the usual McLaren Vale herbal notes but still a fine wine. Drink up now as I don't believe this will get any better. 92-93 pts.
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12/26/2014 - Michweb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruity experience. One likes it or then not. I enjoyed it. Drink now
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11/1/2014 - CWang wrote: 93 Points
Another well-made Australian shiraz; black cherries, mints, graphite, lavenders, and precious wood spices in the rich nose; rather concentrated and masculine on the palate, with lots of stewed dark fruits like berries, cherries, and plums, whipped cream, and wood spices; very long finish mirroring the palate plus some unresolved tannins; overall, 92-93 points at this stage.
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10/28/2014 - psusfca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking really well. Black fruits still quite present. Some toastiness. Great length across the palate. Structure and tannins are supple but very present. This has time left in it. Gorgeous wine.
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10/12/2014 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 93 Points
WOTN. Really delicious. The wine is in it's prime drinking window currently!!!! very classic in terms of weight and style.
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9/28/2014 - grizzlymarmot wrote: 90 Points
Very dark fruit aroma with a touch of tertiary components. Some say tobacco, some say smoke, others say meat - whatever they say - its what you expect from a Shiraz. Excellent mouth feel and a lot of fruit flavor. The finish is medium in length but intense enough to live up to the body. The fruit flavors have not faded - but given the alcohol content, I am not really certain how much can change with time. Food pairing here was those cute little lamb chops. Quite a flavorful night!
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9/1/2014 - Steve's Cellar wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry and cedar. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry, molasses, black pepper and cedar with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Paul and I drank with Sous Vide'd ribs. Was not as good as the last Mitolo. Good mouth feel, long finish but not as deep and complex as I recall.
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8/30/2014 - AdamJP wrote:
Still excellent.
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7/21/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Typical Aussie shiraz, intense fruit flavors, touches of smoked meat.
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7/19/2014 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle.
It smells like raspberry, red currant, blackberry, blackberry and cranberry.
It smells like vanilla, light toast, clove and violet. It tastes like blackberry, raspberry, strawberry jam, vanilla and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine started with some coarseness to its texture but became satin-like. The wine finishes medium. Good to go now, but has years of life in it.
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7/18/2014 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour: Looks young in the glass, purple with a transparent magenta rim. Cherry fruit on the nose, but also stewed plum with a savory, green bean note under baking spices, clove and anise. It comes together better in the mouth: black berries and currant jam, peppery, with sweet spices. The finish is long and bright. It gets better as it goes.
No need to wait on these, they aren't likely to improve, but there's not a great rush. 90
After two days corked on the kitchen counter: A sniff at the bottle showed the oxidized notes you'd expect from a wine abandoned on the counter for two days. But poured into the glass those notes disappeared and left a much brighter, younger wine, somehow without the stewed, aged notes that I got initially. Pure black berry and fruit, some baking spices, altogether much closer to my previous notes from years ago. Nice long finish, with some juicy acidity.
So I'm revising my note and my score upward to 92-93. I still think I'd advise drinking these in the next year or two, but not because I think they are at the downslope, but because I suspect they're at peak around now. Just don't pop and pour, give the wine two or three hours in the air to shake off its slumber.
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6/23/2014 - JWP Likes this wine: 93 Points
A wine that we will remember for years, and wine which is now the standard by which we shall measure all future bottles.
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5/31/2014 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours; retains a syrupy consistency but the nose and profile show a muted shiraz. Exhibited port-characteristics about 2 hours into the drinking window.
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5/29/2014 - Italiana Likes this wine:
This bottle in a good place right now. Delivers a lot of everything, especially for the money. It charmed me, despite being a bit over the top.
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5/7/2014 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: ripe purple fruits, showing just a hint of aged character; dark chocolate (oak); a touch smoky; very ripe.
BODY: black-garnet color of great depth, with some bricking at the edges; full bodied.
TASTE: very ripe; dark, rich purple fruits; hint of soft black licorice (aged character); 14.5% alc. is a little noticeable; adequate acidity; tannins integrated; lots of lush, thick, ripe fruit; light-to-medium oak; good, but not my preferred style of wine. Drink now, I suppose, or over the next 3 - 5 years, even though I don't see this getting any better with age.
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5/4/2014 - Janstan Likes this wine: 96 Points
enormous wine, needs 4 hours of decanting. some heat, dark berries, vanilla
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4/17/2014 - papabluez Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took this to blind tasting tonight. Decanted 2 hours before. No one guessed it as Shiraz or as an 05. Very complex nose that slowly evolved revealing a variety of aromas over time. Despite the Parker/Jay miller notes, most at the tasting think it has a few years left yet. Lots of big dark fruits remain with smooth & well integrated tannins. Velvety with texture. Nice surprise. Nice job Ben Glaetzer!
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3/18/2014 - AdamJP wrote:
Excellent.
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3/4/2014 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Over 5 years since my first bottle from this producer. Popped it open or should I say twisted the cap off. 9 years old. Dark ruby red, gorgeous deep colour. There was some expected sediment along the edge of the bottle. Somewhat muted, but at the moment (without decanting) nose of tar, some earth, orange peel, mild oak. The palette is great. The 2005 ripe balanced red fruit. Blueberries. Still some acidity and slightly grippy tannins. Alcohol is smoothed out and not prevalent. I think the structure is still solid and this wine hasn't fallen apart so should still be fine for a few more years before it starts its decline. Probably one of the better Glaetzer wines I've had recently. I will say I don't detect as much of the McLaren Vale freshness. I remember back in 2008, it was there. But now its more in the background. Still a great wine. Finish is nice. And its well balanced. Thumbs up!
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2/27/2014 - carstenf wrote: 91 Points
A lot's of wine there.....heavy fruit and alcohol , but OK balanced. Still fresh - thank good for screwcaps !
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2/24/2014 - Topper wrote: 90 Points
This has gradually improved over the years and is in a good place now. Completely agree with the description of the wine by Zweder a few notes ago.
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2/3/2014 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep and inky tis wine is drinking so very nicely now.
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1/23/2014 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2014-01; Syrah/Shiraz (@ My place): Beautiful dark fruits, herbs and spices, leather and some sweetness in the bouquet. On the palate juicy dark fruits, salty licorice, coffee, good fresh acidity, some sweetness and soft tannin and bitterness. Ready now and the next few years.
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11/30/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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11/29/2013 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has been sitting the cellar for about 5 years, and is certainly a different wine to 5 years ago when I think I had my last. Deep, savoury syrah nose, but still full of puppy fat. Initially, the palate is completely closed down, it takes, 30-60 minutes to start to open and a good 3 hours to fully open. Once the wine has opened up, there is more tannin, more smoky savouriness on the nose, and more acidity, giving classic Syrah cranberry fruits on the palaete, which combined with that initial depth is compelling. Not my favoured style but to be admired nonetheless. Shame it was my last, as it needs a few more years yet.
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11/2/2013 - tgkswine wrote: 91 Points
This still has plenty in the tank i=and is drinking very well. Balanced, big fruity but not over the top.
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10/5/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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9/14/2013 - chocobonbon wrote: 93 Points
Deep, dark purple. Lots of dark, ripe fruit. A bit of spice and pepper. Long finish.
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9/12/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Ripe and forward black fruit aromas with cherry liqueur hints and oak spice. Seems a bit over-extravagant to start but quickly transforms into a solid, well balanced black fruit wine with black pepper and reasonable spice on the palate, with a persistent and harmonious finish.
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8/20/2013 - Topper wrote: 89 Points
When I tasted this last in 2010 I wrote that I thought it would improve over time but it's essentially exactly the same now. Good example of Aussie Shiraz from the early 90s. Big, fruity with nice body and grip but a touch of heat and VA prevents it from going to the next level. A decent wine
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8/15/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
Minute amount of sediment. Excellent.
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7/30/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 78 Points
Late Jul 2013: not decanted; black red ink; sweet; red fruits, black berry; plenty of alcohol; extremly full body; soogy texture.
Too sweet, too much alcohol; too much of everything: too oversubscribed for me.
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7/4/2013 - PrometheanFire wrote: 88 Points
Deep dark purple, bordering on black. Overripe dark berry fruits and earthy tones dominate the nose. Undertones of liquorice and pencil shavings. Not all that precise and slightly jammy - not hot though. Palate is rich and concentrated, medium to full bodied the wine offers lots of dark blackberries and the characteristic spice/pepper notes with a medium-length finish. I must admit that I am not as impressed as many other fellow CTers seem to be by judging from the scores being thrown around here. Especially when taking the 40€ price point into consideration this is a quite a letdown due its lack of complexity and precision. Concentration is not everything and I have drunk superior Shiraz at a third of the price.
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6/17/2013 - SexyEpicurean wrote: 90 Points
I'm basically all Old World at this point in my wine collecting (and drinking), but I've still got a lot of New World bottles to choke down that bought in my early development--hey, they were cost working in a wine shop, at least. I have to say, this bottle really made me take a double-take. I had it on release a few years back--very oaky, of course, but I bought a bottle anyway to cellar. Glad I did! If it had been a blind tasting, I might have guessed old World. This wine is perfectly matured, but could probably go 2-3 years more. Beautiful integration of dark fruit, tannins, and acidity with no pesky vanilla extract taste. I thoroughly enjoyed it by iteself, with lamb chops, and then dark chocolate. The winemaker named this wine in honor of his kids with GAM being each of their initials, if I recall. I'd be proud at his effort if I were them. That's what I call a cool legacy to leave.
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5/27/2013 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Vinituried into glass. Nose: Black fruits with some funk and earthy hints. Palate: Spicy, black fruits with good richness, soft tannins, and bright acidity with a medium length finish. Much more old world than typical Aussie. Unlike the last bottle (notes on 2/22/09) this is open for business after several years sideways. Last and best bottle of this.
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5/15/2013 - Italiana wrote:
Very, very impenetrably dark and opaque. Reticent nose. First tastes very gripping, then tedious at the end. Could not finish the glass. No defects, just not in our preferred style.
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5/11/2013 - Vette Z06 wrote: 93 Points
No decant. Actually a bit better than previous!
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4/17/2013 - amred wrote: 92 Points
This was a pleasant surprise. Assumed by now this 2005 would be a bit over the hill, given the nature of these wines. But, it was smooth, a fruit nose, integrated, not too alcoholic and no sense that the alcohol had stressed the wine over time. A smooth and well-balanced wine, with fruit, but not jammy, and a hint of spice and earth.
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3/13/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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3/12/2013 - dbg wrote:
Purchased on release and stored in temp controlled cellar since. Perfect cork and fill. Dark purple core, minimal lightening at rim. Blackberry, pepper, hint of alcoholic heat on the nose. Full body, bold ripe dark fruits cover the alcohol well, balancing tannins and acid keep this from being flabby, tannins in evidence but not harsh, medium long finish, no real complexity, should drink well for many years. Excellent
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3/2/2013 - WDK wrote: 93 Points
Opaque purple/black. Full body with lots of extraction and a structure to match. Dark fruits with graphite and pepper. Long tasty finish
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2/26/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
This was big but not obnoxiously so. VA was in check and it was clean. Lots of sediment with a spicy, raspberry nose. Blueberry, pepper, char and boysenberry palate.
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2/24/2013 - Margauxguy wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant simple, sweet briary/ peppery fruit, smooth mid palate, not as overwhelming or hot as some Shiraz, but not terribly complex, a well made decent quaff
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2/23/2013 - MichaelF wrote: 89 Points
At a nice spot right now. Some of the bold fruit has taken the back seat to secondary nuances of black pepper, Christmas spices, cinnamon. Nice acidity and well balanced.
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2/21/2013 - Topper wrote: 88 Points
Drinking one of these about every two years. Not much development one way or another since 2010. Maybe getting a bit more balanced but still a big boy with strong flavors and structure. Should hold up for a while still.
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2/21/2013 - Italiana wrote: 88 Points
Dark opacity. Subdued nose. Quite rich and full, stopping just this side of over-the-top. High alcohol saved by just barely enough acidity. Fruit allowed to show well without excessive jamminess. A good example of the style, at least to my taste.
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2/16/2013 - carstenf wrote: 90 Points
Typical Aus. Shiraz , but not overdone. I think it will do nicely the next 1-3 years. Screwcab.
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2/10/2013 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 90 Points
Decanted a couple of hours. Nose of sweet blackberry liqueur, rich full bodied palate of sweet fruit and mature tannins and very noticeable alcohol.
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2/8/2013 - jayw wrote:
Full body. Sweet briary fruit with peppery cinnamon spice, mocha and a touch of peppermint. Chewy mouthfeel, integrated tannins, too-peppery finish. Overall, an enjoyable Shiraz, though nothing profound.
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1/19/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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1/5/2013 - leftylevi wrote: 86 Points
Dark fruited and pleasant up front but with a slight metallic bitter note on the back-end finish that was distracting. Despite this, it was in pretty good balance with it's structure and fruit composition.
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12/6/2012 - peterk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big, rich, pruny, full-bodied wine with some spice on the back end. No subtlety here.
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11/23/2012 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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11/18/2012 - PrometheanFire wrote: flawed
Was slightly corked, so no rating here. You could feel its power underneath the cork though. I hope my second bottle is okay and I wonder what the wine can do when it is in full flight.
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11/2/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
A little skunk and VA in the nose, this has a bit of a pruned nature to it, but is overall not horrible. Spicey, peppery and pruney, this showed a bit of reserve after opening with a decent acidity to liven it up. Pricey for the quality, perhaps this needed to be drunk early in its lifetime, but for the price, you would have thought age would help. Okay, but not worth $40.
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10/28/2012 - drdecanto wrote: 90 Points
Good but not great. Somewhat vegetal and it never really blew off.
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10/27/2012 - webbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second tasting with consistent notes. Initial tastes after opening are over the top, excessive fruit & raisins, cloyingly sweet. However, after 24 hours in the decanter, it dried out a bit and was lovely, very enjoyable.
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10/4/2012 - pgb67 wrote: 91 Points
A steady and satisfying shiraz, although it didn't quite reach that deliciousness level that I hit with Two Hands (my favorite brand from Oz!). Aromas of black cherry, plum and baked fruit tart, with loamy accents. A dense mouthfeel with flavors of espresso, black cherry, and cola, and a finish showing toasty cherry fruit.
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9/8/2012 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH BLACKBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS AND SPICE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH
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8/3/2012 - JiaLiBai wrote: 92 Points
Big bold wine with full body, sweet prune, berries, and licorice. Not subtle at all but very enjoyable.
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7/26/2012 - Saul wrote: 91 Points
Great bottle. Bold wine wanting food. I like the description of hot finish by gbm.
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7/25/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
It looks like textbook Aussies shiraz as I poured it into the decanter: a pitch purple color, almost black. I noticed a significant amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle and some crust around the neck. For that reason alone, it’s worth decanting, but this wine definitely benefits from oxygen. The aromas start off like a tight ball of dark and compact fruit. With some air, the black cherry and plum aromas start to come out, and it begins to smell like a fresh fruit tart dessert. There’s a bit of charcoal and just a hint of rich loam aromas as well. The tannins add a texture of finely ground coffee to the palate. I’ll admit that the alcohol is evident, but it’s inoffensive. There’s just enough acid in this wine to keep it from tasting too big and overwhelming, although I’d prefer some more. Flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and hints of mocha abound. Hints of and creamy cherry fruit toast accent the finish. I’m glad I’ve held off on opening this bottle and let it reach an interesting stage in its evolution. If anything, I’d say this wine could use another three to five years of age. I had a 2003 vintage of this same wine last year and absolutely loved the leather and meat aspects that it showed. The 2005 currently lacks some of those secondary characteristics, but I think they’ll come out in due time.
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7/20/2012 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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7/9/2012 - mpricher wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was stored in passive cellar, and showed up fantastic. Crack of the cork was loud, and this had not oxidized one bit. Soft and supple tannins, but the fruit was still VERY apparent, and clear, Black and Blue berry fruit, with some rhubarb, dark roasted chololate, and graphite. A really wonderful Shiraz at this point! A little hot, but the fruit is backing it up. Not sure this will get a whole lot better, but very strong show now.
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6/24/2012 - arthrovine wrote: 87 Points
Big, mildly porty Thicker mouthfeel. Somewhat one dimensional.
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6/11/2012 - Chiantihound wrote: 89 Points
Purple opaque to the eye. Strong nose of molasses, butterscotch, and caramel. Flavors of prunes - stewed prunes - in hot unbalanced palette. Low acidity. Interesting thick mouthfeel leading to medium length finish. Low complexity and structure at this point. Reminded me of port as much as wine. Does need food for balance. Admittedly not my style.
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5/29/2012 - curtispomeroy wrote: 91 Points
A big, full-throated shiraz but not a fruit bomb per se. Will wait a few years on the next bottle to see how it develops.
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5/28/2012 - Brian1970 wrote: 93 Points
Dense, refined, balanced, beautiful finish.
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5/13/2012 - snaff wrote: 92 Points
Powerful, but smooth. Rich fruit, a bit of pepper and coffee.
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5/8/2012 - gbm wrote: 92 Points
Stamford Book Club (Davenport Farm): Slow ox for several hours prior to drinking.
COLOR: Dark purple. Opaque.
NOSE: Oak, licorice, spice and pepper. Wow! Very aromatic.
TASTE: Very peppery. I am not sure if age has mellowed the jamminess of this wine or the pepper masks it Maybe it's just not a typical Parker fruit bomb? Either way, I like it. Also some black licorice and vanilla.
OVERALL: Long, hot finish. Excellent wine. It is a HUGE wine and really needs food.
(4+13+17+8)
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3/28/2012 - fort wrote: 87 Points
Dark purple with a ruby rim. Still a very young nose of primary fruit. Overwhelming alcohol, this wine is not balanced and after 7 years, I doubt it will balance out.
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3/9/2012 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Good right out of the bottle, with flowery aromatics and a deep purple coloring. Still packing a powerful alcohol afterburn and extraordinarily smooth and refined tannins, I'm not sure if more time will tame the alcohol or turn this into more of a port-like wine than it already is. I have quite a few bottles and will begin drinking on a regular basis.
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3/4/2012 - GraemeBell wrote: 92 Points
Dense purple colour. Soft rounded mouthfeel, tannins barely noticeable, alcohol in check. Oak and cassis, only a little gloopy but this did seem to mask the structure. It's very enjoyable but suspect it might benefit from a few more years in the cellar to bring out further elements.
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2/25/2012 - vsbastosx wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours.
Gorgeous on the nose with oak, liquorice and spices. On the palate , this is full bodied, powerful tannins and long aftertaste. It's still a bit hot on the palate and the alcohol is quite present. I would wait 3-4 years to drink it so things could settle down. In my humble opinion, the 2005 Reiver is far better. Anyway, this is still excellent!
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1/26/2012 - WDK wrote: 94 Points
Singing now. Popped & poured. A big rich, balanced wine with perfectly level acidity to match the exuberant fruit. Long delicious finish.
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1/18/2012 - Brownvino wrote: 92 Points
Nice fruit and nose. Decanted for three hours. Pleasant aftertaste.
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12/30/2011 - 100pp wrote: 91 Points
Oak well inegrated now. Big and earthy with most of the focus on the fruit.
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12/18/2011 - williamswhine wrote: 93 Points
Earthy, mushroom nose. Big berry bomb, full bodied, little cinnamon, spice. Terrific wine!
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12/5/2011 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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11/25/2011 - ronlite wrote:
Excellent
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11/16/2011 - JohnSh wrote: 92 Points
Didn't take notes, but this bottle was singing last night. Not much complexity, but it certainly is very tasty, with a smooth, velvety texture, nice concentration and quite well balanced. Definitely an easy drinking fruit bomb, but quite delicious and greatly enjoyed by everyone at the table (A-).
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11/12/2011 - sstoloff wrote: 90 Points
Too massive for my taste--not a "fruit bomb," exactly, but dark, blunt. Still, the roast coffee and chocolate on the nose are really nice, and the palate is all blackberry with good length.
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10/7/2011 - cgrimes wrote: 90 Points
Last tasted 2008. Similar to my previous note. Purple opaque color. Nose of briary fruits, smoke, tar. Palate of salt, blackberries, blueberries, spice, pepper. Less heat than in the past. Big wine.
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10/1/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): See also notes from 2009 and 2010. This is still a wine with a lot of primary fruits and in fact a lot of everything. I'll leave my bottles in the cellar for another 3 years.
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9/27/2011 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Overrater Bobo strikes again. I thought this was underwhelming, boring. Quite a bit of sediment and not giving much in the nose. Chocolate, some fruit, just not a lot in this bottle.
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8/12/2011 - maderay wrote: 92 Points
VG+. Strond-bodied, spices, licorice, chocolate, berries.
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8/9/2011 - JerM wrote: 92 Points
(tasting at Mich&Bo's) Inky and opaque. Broad floral perfume, violets and leather. Bramble. Dusty. Developing nicely in the bottle, with excellent structure, intensity, verticality and purity. My favourite for the night.
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8/8/2011 - gesusser wrote: 92 Points
outstanding shiraz; tasty & smooth as glass;
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8/7/2011 - ctjared wrote:
Very good and as hoped for / expected.
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7/6/2011 - t4drman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent wine. The nose of rich berry aromas, dark and inviting. And then the taste...delivers! Not mouth coating like so many Aussie shiraz but rather bringing all the delicious flavors promised by the nose onto the palate. A real delight from down under. You won't go wrong with this crowd pleaser.
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6/29/2011 - Bardamu wrote: 92 Points
Still pretty primary, but still pretty pretty as well. I like this wine, it has great richness and depth with no hard edges to it. Very smooth, very flavourful.
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6/28/2011 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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6/25/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 45 mins, returned to bottle and brought to a party. Notes over the course of an hour show a still-syrupy wine that's deep in color. More fruit pie than anything else, but well-balanced and not overly in-your-face. Will retry shortly to better assess as I have a lot of this vintage.
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5/28/2011 - webbaker wrote: 92 Points
Almost black, brick around the edges, estery, taste of raisins, good balance,typical Shiraz
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5/9/2011 - LikeABC wrote:
needs a little more bottle age or serious decant.
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5/8/2011 - acheng wrote: 90 Points
Drank over 2 days. It is a hedonistic delight. Toasty oak with soaring blueberry and vanilla. Juicy sweet and fullish. Just satiate the senses. The alcohol is well integrated but does give me a headache and therefore has to be consumed over 2 days.
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5/7/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Aussie Tasting featuring Mitolo GAM (My Place): Spice, blackberries, blueberries, and floral notes. Good concentration and medium to long finish. My second favorite of the GAM flight.
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4/30/2011 - Grape Stuff wrote: 94 Points
90-120 minute decant. Stunning. Great blueberry, black fruit cobbler, plum, spice box, black tea, and a floral/potpouri hint with creamy notes. Smooth mouthfeel with sweet, integrated tannins. Very well balanced. Outstanding. Still has a few years left, but an amazingly well integrated, balanced, delicious wine right now.
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4/22/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Aussie Shiraz with Mitolo GAM Vertical 2002-2005 (John's House): Purple black color. Very nice nose, black and blue fruits, pepper, licorice, espresso, and oak. The palate has a lush, velvety mouthfeel, fresh, blackberry, blueberry pie, balanced, integrated tannins, long finish. My #2 WOTN, group #3, and Mitolo vertical my and group WOTN.
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3/10/2011 - winelovr2001 wrote: 88 Points
Lots of creamy sweet oak and vibrant fruit. A good wine, but not really to my tastes these days.
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3/9/2011 - behm0027 wrote: 91 Points
Rich, jammy blueberries & raspberries, anise, vanilla, and gentle wood on the nose. Cherry, cool earth, and cedar carry through on the finish, along with baking spices (nutmeg or clove). Incredibly smooth wine, from mid-palate through to the finish. Big, bold wine...yet refined to ensure there is not excess sweetness. Very lovely. Drinking well now and likely for 3-4 more years.
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1/22/2011 - Evil Homer wrote: 93 Points
An absolutely beautifull wine. Nioce red fruit with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar. This flows easily and is seamless in its journey from start to finish. Alcohol is well contained by great fruit and ends with a nice long finish. Excellent.
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1/12/2011 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
The fruit has toned down with some age, but that seemed to allow the booziness/alcohol show more (more with texture and mouthfeel than with heat on the finish). More monolithic than I expected as well. Still a nice wine as it had the tannins and acidity to offset the fruit.
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12/25/2010 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
Again, drank over 2 weeks ago. From memory, as expected, juicy, sweet and smoky. Good house wine. Considerable alcohol.
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12/23/2010 - Topper wrote: 91 Points
Drinking nicely now with some residual sweetness and more balance. A defused fruit bomb. should only get better.
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11/14/2010 - pkumkim wrote:
One of the best reasonable Price.....
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11/7/2010 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
This has continued to improve in the bottle. Nice and smooth. Nice complexity.
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11/6/2010 - ronlite wrote: 89 Points
good
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10/17/2010 - whinenut wrote: 92 Points
Yes it's s a huge wine. Yes it's a little syrupie. Yes it's well balanced. Yes it can be food by itself. It's still clearly a youngster with very good potential for improvement. Has just the right amount of acid. Finishes with lovely sweet grainy tannin. Even as big a wine as it is, BBQ ribeye stood up to it just fine. Could be a little more complex. But I love anyway.
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10/14/2010 - WDK wrote: 92 Points
Very well made shiraz. Still not showing it's best with oak playing a big role.
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10/8/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Solid, well structured wine. Seems a bit monolithic though.
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10/7/2010 - pavel_p wrote: 92 Points
What a massive wine, this is as full bodied as it gets. The palate is full of fruit, it's smooth and well integrated, almost like eating dessert. Certainly not a bad wine, just not my cup of tea
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9/21/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 89 Points
Took to a dinner. Popped and served, no formal notes. Big forward shiraz, but no heat noticed. Nose of massive blackberries, blueberries, black licorice, caramel, and a little spice. Palate was similar with blackberry liqour, blueberries, a little vanilla, spice. Long finish, but too forward for my taste and not enough complexity at this point. Hold. 50+5+11+17+6
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9/17/2010 - SadEdjo wrote: 93 Points
Red fruity & melted red licorice, but not over-the-top nose. *Seamless* entry of balanced melted red & black licorice, cinnamon & red fruit. Lingering, clean, tingling, cedary, minerally finish. Very well integrated. Nary a rough or awkward seam. Many years ahead of it.
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9/16/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
Warning! This bottle was abused in some way. Cork was fully compromised and capsule was entirely coated. I bought it from a reputable store a couple years ago but apparently didn't check the capsule before putting it into my wine locker.
COLOR: Deep purple w/purple-garnet rim
NOTE: Nose starts out with nice black fruits that have to be coaxed out of the glass, then comes a little tobacco and some whiffs of cheddar cheese (weird). Mouth is rich and redolent with blackberry liqueur and pomagranate liqueur, a real yin and yang of black and red fruits, nicely balanced with acidity that makes it refreshing. Finish has roasted black plum, blackberries and black cherry, with some tobacco and nice 60% cocoa hits. This is more my style than the 2004.
Also did a 1 hr decant w/o Vinturi (Taste: 9.0+) and the fruit was very subdued in the nose. Wild! Of course, there also wasn't any cheese smell either (and no I didn't use my Vinturi on cheese right before).
DECANT: Vinturi + 1 hr
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.2-
COST: 38
VALUE: 7.5
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: Now
PAIRING:
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8/26/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote: 89 Points
Balanced? no. Complex? no. Good, yummy, fun to drink? yes. Chocolate, vanilla, baking spices, gobby blackberry jam.
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8/9/2010 - coldvvaves wrote: 91 Points
Pow. Really nice mouth. Rich fruit flavor. Gift from Marilyn
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7/26/2010 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
I opened this two nights ago, and only had a sip. I forgot I opened it and then re-discovered the open bottle today, two days later. The wine is great at this point -- really opened up and showed some of its underlying fruit. After 2 days, the wine is still fairly tanic, and rich, but there is some nice underlying blackberry fruit. This paired great with a steak and salad on an otherwise ordinary Monday night after work. This wine is coming along nicely. I predict it will be even better in about 2 years.
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7/20/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry, licorice root, some redcurrant, violets, camphor, and a touch of earthen leather. Expressive, smooth, even elegant on the palate, which highlights an anise bite, peppery herbs and a little kirsch. Energetic finish full of white pepper kirsch, blueberry, a raspberry note and hints of earth. Interesting. This could be mistaken for a Saxum from a cooler year.
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7/17/2010 - sstoloff wrote: 90 Points
Bit of a fruit bomb, but some depth and complexity. A little over the top for my taste.
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6/19/2010 - 11mcraig wrote: 93 Points
The best Shiraz that I have had in quite some time. Very dark garnet color...dark berriies and cassis on the nose. Decanted for 30 minutes...smooth with an outstanding finish. This wine is drinking extremely well at this time!
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6/14/2010 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
opaque purple/black - on the nose this is an extremely dense and ripe blackberry and candied plums and very well intergrated American oak. In the mouth - huge and sweet - very smooth. It is a nice wine with huge depth and very well made. With air, distinct mocha, smoke and leather notes below the juicy fruit. The main attribute but also the main problem with this wine is its liqueur like style which would be overbearing for some people.This wine can be drunk now for its sweetness or aged for 15+ years to see where it will go. A sipping wine that may fight against food at this stage. This is a "Parker" wine that both gives him a good or bad name depending on your taste. I'm being a bit stingy with 91 points but 95 points from the wine advocate seems out of line.
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6/7/2010 - dave747400 wrote: 89 Points
Short notice, so popped & poured (again, doh!). Uber-fruity, lots of oak & confected cassis. Improved with air, so I should take my own advice & decant next time. That nice nose still present & correct, a monster on the palate. Some freshness & even delicacy on the finish saved the day, though.
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6/2/2010 - RDCollins wrote: flawed
Strange stuff. No fruit, tasted like dirt, but not corked, etc. Three prior bottles much, much better.
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6/1/2010 - collinb227 wrote: 91 Points
big on the brown sugar, and a some reduced jam
this was good at first couple glasses, but after awhile it seemed one dimensional and sickly sweet, so much so that I couldn't even drink the last glass from the bottle
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5/23/2010 - fcs wrote: 88 Points
With Farrar and steaks. Wine's flavor and finish were unimpressive
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5/10/2010 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
I was preparing to write an obituary for Aussie Wine in my cellar, but this held the fort nicely and a clear step up from the last bottle I had a couple of years ago. Served with great BBQ, this delivered tons of ripe blackberry and incense, still fresh and a long finish. Nicely done.
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4/22/2010 - Khamen wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl screwcap. Rather dense and sticky with an opaque black-and-blue robe. Sweet nose of blackcurrant jelly, little hints of leather and fresh-turned earth. Very burly attack, this is a gushing glass of warm black fruits. Finish is a little short and flashes the alcohol a touch. A decent tannic structure but rather soft acidity leads me to a now-2015 or so window. It's all about ease of drinking and does the job very nicely.
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4/8/2010 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
big wine. extracted blackberry, blueberry, big fruit, and tannnic, as lisa says ' a fruit bomb'. brit loved it. to me it was almost over the top, and just nudged out the 2005 Mitolo Jester.
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3/16/2010 - WDK wrote: 94 Points
This is a really good shiraz. While the nose is somewhat reticent, the palate is loaded with intense flavors of blackberry and a hint of citrus. Long, long intense finish, with perfect acidity and tannic balance. Very nice.
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3/4/2010 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 87 Points
Been on a binge of Aussie shirazes this week- trying to make room for new purchases from other regions. I have been struck by how similar all of these similarly priced, and similarly aged wines taste. Very difficult to distinguish much in the way of interesting nuance, or development of secondary flavors. This is a very good wine, and is a crowd pleaser with my non-enophile friends, but my tastes have changed and I won't be buying more.
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3/3/2010 - JohnSh wrote: 89 Points
Had this a couple of days ago. No notes, but this was a pleasant, if unidimensional wine. Some meaty notes on the palate, which I always love in my sryah/shiraz, but I thought it was basically a solid, very smooth, nicely textured wine - just a rather simple wine (B+).
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2/19/2010 - stocksandbondage wrote: flawed
It was drinkable, but not right. High levels of VA, not enjoyable.
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2/17/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 89 Points
Nice perfumy nose, blueberries, slight VA. Something just a bit fizzy in the wine making me wonder if it is a candidate for Brett down the road. Hot flavors of blueberry. Perhaps a bit one dimensional. Not a 96 now, RP. Quite hot going down, and this is a definite objectionable quality.
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2/16/2010 - burgbob wrote: 91 Points
Very nice shiraz, more like a classic Aussie style from ten or more years ago, not overly ripe or highly alcoholic (14.5%) Nice balance. Ready to drink but improved with half hour breathing
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2/6/2010 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Especially the bouquet is beautiful with ripe cassis and pleasant oak. Really elegant. On the palate cassis, black forest fruits and some eucalyptus. Some pleasant sweetness. The taste is great, but less elegant than the bouquet. Firm amount of bitterness and tannin. The wine probably needs a few more years of cellaring.
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1/29/2010 - Gaudi wrote: 94 Points
Very good!! Need I see more, can I see more! Bought for €25!!
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1/10/2010 - incident wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Has shed a lot of fat and come together well.
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1/1/2010 - silton wrote: 92 Points
Nose of black fruit, brown sugar, maybe molasses. The palate is rich, but not heavy, and adds a little blueberry and lavender for intrigue. Drinking much better here on day 2.
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12/25/2009 - Tuffdawg wrote: 86 Points
I decanted this for 4 hours. The nose was of concentrated licorice and tar, little fruit. Palate was much of the same with big tanins and much more oak than I expected. Maybe an off bottle but I just don't see it. Very dissapointing on Christmas Eve.
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12/24/2009 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Really concentrated. Very dark and ripe, blackberry, cherry and currant fruit. Really well balanced with dry soft tannin and juicy acidity to balance the ripe concentrated fruit. Lacks some verve to merit a higher score for me. Parker must have scored this on its concnetration alone.
Tasty Shiraz and went well with food.
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12/7/2009 - robw wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Fruit forward with heat....not much improvement on the second day. A bit simple for a higher rating.
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12/6/2009 - mdstenner wrote: 87 Points
From previous tastings this isn't the same wine. It was tasty enough but lacked the depth and complexity. It was popped and poured last minute. Maybe it was just too tight.
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12/1/2009 - dave747400 wrote: 90 Points
Popped & poured. Would have benefited from decanting. In line with notes from previous tasting - wonderful, room filling nose!
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11/28/2009 - thalver wrote:
soft, and not very forthcoming...tannins were in no way obtrusive...some notes of minerality accompanied the fruit...perhaps an off bottle...
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11/27/2009 - EJZ wrote: 94 Points
Simply great!! The other positive comments are absolutely on track, and I could repeat them, but why? If you c an get this wine, do so.
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11/8/2009 - vintage1949 wrote: 92 Points
From Magnum- decanted for three hours and took over to a good friends house. Wonderful complex nose with taste following the same format. Tar, deep blackberry, and hint of dark roast coffee make for a wine the entire group enjoyed. I did set aside a small glass at home (I would be a fool to take every last drop along :) ) to try upon returning later in the evening. The nose had significantly faded but the taste was still rich and complex. I wonder how this will age?
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10/18/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Opened (but not decanted) 3 hours in advance. Improvement upon the last bottle.
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10/11/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 92 Points
A lot of fun to drink. Black fruits, menthol, and oak all framed in firm tannins and a long finish.
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9/30/2009 - williamswhine wrote: 93 Points
'Ole reliable. This bottle is excellent and ranks as one of my favorites. Dark purple in color, jammy, heavy bodied-- outstanding Shiraz! If you get the opportunity this wine is worth decanting and will open up. Bound to put a smile on anyone's face!
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9/23/2009 - VinumCA wrote: 94 Points
Mitolo tasting with Frank Mitolo and Ben Glaetzer (Quince Restaurant, Toronto): A serious wine. The nose was of plums and other rich, dark fruit, not atypical from the rest of the wines in the tasting. What WAS atypical was the savoury elements of soy, cumin and a hint of meat that accompanied the simpler fruit profile; very indicative of a much higher-end shiraz than I was led to believe by the Parker note, and boding well for mid-term development. The palate continued the lineup of "big" flavour profiles we had observed in the tasting, but was marked with an exceptional balance and the added influence of the savoury and spice elements noted on the nose. The finish was almost as lengthy as the '02 G.A.M., and sailed effortlessly from black fruit to spice, ending on the only unfortunate note: a very slight touch of VA. Still, one of my favourites of the tasting, and a great candidate for mid-term cellaring.
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9/18/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted half a bottle while reserving the other half for the following day in an empty .375. After 2 hours in the decanter, this jet-black wine continues to throw off black fruit and oak. Very smooth tasting, much better than the last bottle and in great form.
2nd Day - Wine held its flavors and weight nicely. Only slightly softer in feel, with a little more graphite than on day 1. Still very enjoyable.
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9/13/2009 - dave747400 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2hrs. Dark dark colour. Flowers,spice & jammy fruit soaring out of the decanter. On the palate this is definately a fruit-bomb, but one that's dressed in its Sunday best, on its way to church and has just been given a good dressing down by its Mother to be on its best behaviour or else. Lots of weight, nice integrated gentle oak & jammy friut, with road tar & flowers along for the ride. A little acid along the middle complements the pizza nicely. Nice.
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9/7/2009 - rwatkin wrote: 89 Points
The wine was very dense, full of chocolate and tar. It would rate a much higher score in 3-5 yrs once the fruit blossoms
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8/1/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 92 Points
Dark, inky with a garnet rim. Big fruity nose with blueberry and blackberry. Intense full body with smooth tannins. Massive rich flavours; blackberry, cherry, liquorice and pepper spice. A little vanillin and oak on the long, long finish.
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7/19/2009 - cmr wrote: 89 Points
Welp back towards my first bottle again .. simple straightforward and not a great qpr.
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7/16/2009 - D.Callahan wrote: 90 Points
Excellent shiraz! Big nose and palate but with enough acid to make it work with food. Overall an excellent wine.
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7/16/2009 - WDK wrote: 94 Points
My first bottle of the '05. Best on day 2. Dark, rich, juicy, and long. An outstanding shiraz.
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7/11/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 92 Points
This showed very well. Pour to decanter, let sit 30 min. Color dark cherry red at the rim to opaque black at the center, full body. Full intensity perfumed nose verging on explosive, with ripe blackberry and black cherry reduction, a little meatiness, baking spice, mint and vanilla - clearly Aussie in character and there is also depth that places this above ordinary shiraz. Hits the palate with large waves of rich black fruits, saline, licorice, earth, white pepper, with a bit of alcohol peeking through at times. Long, extracted finish (45s+) of many of the same flavors. Medium acid, tannins soft and refined. This is our first time trying the '05, and having had the '04 on 8 or 9 occasions I agree with JDunnick in that it does not quite approach the '04 in terms of underlying structure, and complexity. Nevertheless this is outstanding and very delicious. A solid 92.
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7/4/2009 - Praxis wrote: 85 Points
Very dark, medium to full body with smell and taste of greenish fruit. Essentially all fruit and nothing else. Quite disappointing and far cry compared to the 2004 vintage.
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7/1/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 92 Points
Nice big wine with sweet tannins and lots of gobby jammy fruit. Nicely balanced tannins and fruit.
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5/26/2009 - elefkowitz wrote: 92 Points
This was was very impressive. Paired wonderfully with a t-bone steak and grill veggies. Trying to find some more for another night...
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5/24/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 89 Points
Decanted half a bottle for 30 mins, consuming over 2 hours, and reserved the other half for the following evening. While I've enjoyed many bottles of this in the passed, this was not a good showing for this wine. Disjointed, tart, a bit of eucalyptus and tannic. Could sense the underlying fruit, but it was disjointed.
.
Day Two - Wine had softened and become less alcohol-forward, with fruit more prominent but not better integrated. Last bottle of this was a year ago, and much better than this. Either this was an off bottle or the wine is entering a dumb phase. Try again within 6 months to confirm one way or the other.
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5/21/2009 - Topper wrote:
I'm going to give this the benefit of the doubt and say that it's too young and that's why it's disjointed, out of balance and painful in the mouth. Hopefully it will resolve and my other 5 bottles will be more palatable with time. Otherwise, I made a mistake in purchasing these.
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5/16/2009 - rjeman2000 wrote: 93 Points
Big, rich, and viscous, but the plump tannins and acidity help keep it balanced. Big black fruits, some mocha, and bacon fat. Very easy to like.
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5/10/2009 - spendergast wrote: 95 Points
Decanted a magnum about 2-3 hrs. Dark ruby red. Dark fruit with hints of spice, earth. Tannins were velvety. Nice finish. A great shiraz enjoyed by all who tried it.
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5/8/2009 - wineotim wrote: 90 Points
What we have here is yet another shiraz with big dark berry fruit, minimum complexity, a medium finish, and a $40 USD.(approx.) pricetag. Tannins were tame and alcohol was well in balance. Can't help but describe this as straightforward, but big nonetheless. Expected more complexity, can do better or the same at a lower price point. I like my shiraz fresh and young, guess this could have used more time, but not sure it would evolve. Still worth 90pts...
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5/8/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Initially I was a bit dissapointed with this vintage. After the initial glycerin subsided when the wine was first released it seemed a bit disjointed. But this could be an unusual Mitolo vintage where the wine starts to improve with age. Seems very good at this point.
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5/6/2009 - LeechDogg wrote: 91 Points
Eucalyptus, spice, soft, slightly dirty finish, red fruit.
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5/5/2009 - brisbane piefan wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Rich, slightly spicy nose and similar palate. Very weighty mouthfeel and chocolatey on the finish. Certainly big, tending to fruit bomb but not too sweet or unbalanced.
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4/28/2009 - stocksandbondage wrote: 95 Points
Glorious bottle of wine. Everything in perfect balance. Velvety tannins, well integrated oak and generous fruit. Not an aussie fruit bomb, but rather a wine with a great sense of balance and even finess given it's richness. All black berrys, cherry and mocha with nunaces of vanilla and black pepper.
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4/12/2009 - unrelenting wrote: 90 Points
not very large nor complex.
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4/8/2009 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #035; Southern Italy. (By RvD): As previous note. Great for the price.
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4/5/2009 - acheng wrote: 91 Points
Quite complex, smoky, spicy, bacon, vanilla and sweet blueberry. Full body, sweet black fruit with a medium finish. 15.9% alcohol and hiding it well. Outstanding
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3/10/2009 - mikee123 wrote: 92 Points
Still one my favourites to date. Its young but I cant stop drinking them. Only 1 left. Will try to keep this one for 5 years.
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3/7/2009 - cmr wrote: 92 Points
This was a large step up from my previous bottle. Looks like the extra time has done this wine very good. Outstanding full body that just rolled around my palate with a beautiful creaminess. The fruit was solid but nicely balanced and structured, it does not punch you in the face as with some other Aussie wines.
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3/4/2009 - redderthanred wrote:
nice wine, but I'd rather get something else for the price...please see prior notes.
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3/2/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
A consistently solid performer.
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2/22/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 90 Points
Aussie Shiraz Tasting at Edina C.C.: Nose: Big tar and after aeration blackberry, cassis and raspberry. Palate: A little closed but good acid and bright red fruits. Firm tannins and good acid. This was much more shut down than the last bottle consumed over a year ago (given my experience with '04' could this be a Mitolo trend?). All the components are there for this to be stellar, but when?
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2/14/2009 - jkoenen wrote: 89 Points
Exploring the wines of Portugal @ Raimondo's (Netherlands): Wow, stay away from this puppy for at least 2 - 3 years. Beautifully composed, absolutely not cloying or too sweet, this wine will reward our patience, for sure. Very primary, inky, floral and dense. Bright, pure and vivid. For now 17/20, with definite upside potential.
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2/14/2009 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Occasional tasting group: Portugal plus some extra's. (@ RT): Much too young, so I’ll save my other bottles at least another 3 years. At this moment a fruit bomb with mainly black forest fruits. Chocolate and soft tannin. There is good bitterness in the finish. Great concentration. I like this blockbuster style (as well as the more elegant style; depends on the food and the mood.) The first evening the alcohol was well hidden, but the third day it was a little aggressive. I trust with ageing it all falls nicely in place.
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2/9/2009 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
Elegant, tannic and young. Initial impressions of blueberries and chocolate. A little later it hinted at cherries and fennel. Worked well with a variety of foods. Saved some for late in the evening and it wasnt as interesting.
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2/6/2009 - cgseldin wrote: 91 Points
Good for what it is: a high alcohol fruit bomb.
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2/5/2009 - mikee123 wrote: 92 Points
Wasnt as blown away as I have been with this wine, perhaps my tastes are beginning to evolve. Still an excellent Shiraz but not as striking this time. Decanted this for 3 hours. Perhaps a little too long. It seemed much more flat this time.
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1/30/2009 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
Refined shiraz, good nose but not the concentration and complexity to be a 95pt wine.
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1/28/2009 - gr8nrg wrote: 90 Points
Needed some air.
Very good, concentrated, balanced enough to fit with or without food but I have to concur with some here that there is nothing unique enough in the experience to say it's a must have or rare but the qpr is quite solid.
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1/24/2009 - dke wrote: 91 Points
The nose showed some oak, with coffee, tar and melted licorice. On the palate there was some earth, tar, blackberries and lots of spiciness and pepper on the finish. Full bodied with noticeable but not strong tannins. After several hours in the decanter the wine was very smooth. It went great with lamb chops. High alcohol but it was pretty well contained by this wine. 90-91pts, although this is still quite young so it will likely gain complexity and smoothness in 2-3 years.
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1/17/2009 - redderthanred wrote:
Decanted for about 3 hours.
Nose: Dark berries & caramel
Palate: This was ok compared to many, many months ago...we won't be seeking this out in the future.
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1/5/2009 - Eckie wrote: 92 Points
No formal tasting notes, but a delicious refined Shiraz. The fruit is very much there, but not like an ex-plosion and very much layered. Good stuff!
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1/1/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Not as big or refined as previous vintages.
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12/29/2008 - ChinonRouge wrote: 86 Points
Ho hum yawn. Enough fruit bomb Shiraz. Take me back to the old world.
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12/28/2008 - g-man wrote: 88 Points
I think maybe my tastes are changing. This just did nothing for me. It wasn't a defective bottle in any way, just blahhh with oak and alcohol and little fruit. I'll let my last bottle sit for another year and give it another shot.
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12/3/2008 - A&C wrote: 92 Points
This is really starting to come into its own. The wine has a wonderful underlying sweetness, and a wonderful finish. It keeps getting better and better.
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11/28/2008 - Arcee wrote: 94 Points
Still an outstanding choice- served for Thanksgiving and praised by all. Rate 94 to 95.
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11/23/2008 - cadamson wrote: 88 Points
Improved the second night. Deep purple, strong dark fruit, decent finish, not real complex but enjoyable.
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11/23/2008 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Though still a masive shiraz, I found this showing a little more restrained than my first go round with this wine. Huge amounts of boysenberry fruit were nicely buffered by a distinct charcoal edge; a wine to drink slowly as the palate is thick but still remains fresh. I'm optimistic on the future of this wine for the next 6-8 years, should be a lot of fun to track.
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11/21/2008 - A&C wrote: 89 Points
Very nice -- still young -- the verdict is still out. At this point, nice, but not memorable.
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11/17/2008 - Garfield wrote: 92 Points
Had with BBQ ribs and baked potatoes. 2 hour decant before dinner. Color is very dark purple in the glass, almost opaque. The nose was initially restrained but showed clove, blackberry, and tobacco. The taste starts off a little hot but calms down. A lot of plumb, tar , mocha, and black fruits, with a long acidic finish. It was a perfect match for the ribs. Very thick in the mouth with refined tannins.
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11/9/2008 - borneman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Medium bodied. Chocolate,vanilla, a little pepper, blackberry and tar flavors. No tannins and considerable heat that dissipated little after several hours. Dissapointing compared to previous vintages.
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10/26/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 89 Points
A pleasing nose of tart cherry, deep funky, foxy blackcurrant, floral edge, mocha and a little white pepper. Medium bodied and elegant for a shiraz. Chocolate, woodsy berry, anise and tar flavors. Finishes with wild berry, tar, crisp acids, some tannin and a little heat. The heat and slighty rough finish is a negative. Also lacks a little excitment. I suspect that a couple of years will improve things.
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10/12/2008 - lano wrote: 93 Points
tasted blind against another shiraz about half the price of the GAM. this was head and shoulders above the other and shows just how good this wine really is. didn't have the anise the last bottle did, but had oodles of black fruit and a long finish. i suppose this will improve with age, but drinking beautifully right now.
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10/10/2008 - mikee123 wrote: 94 Points
consistently one of the best wines I have ever tasted for the price. Decanted for 3 hours. Abundant fruit at the start with new world complexity without being too oaky. Mid palate is firm but super silky. Tannins are abit over powering due to its age.
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10/5/2008 - Magnum Jim wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely fantastic.
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9/27/2008 - Alex H wrote: 81 Points
New World Wine Experience 2008 (Crystal Wines): Not sure if it was just me but I didn't smell much except for light airy turpentine. The palate is thick, concentrated and highly-extracted yet the structure is nicely lean mean and doesn't show alcohol burn at all. This is like a fat girl in a miniskirt wearing a tight top. Too much packed into too small a package. This is a 81 + ??? for me because I just couldn't put my finger on the nose.
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9/27/2008 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Crystal Wines New World Experience 2008 (Valley Point, Singapore): Made by Ben Glaetzer of Glaetzer wines fame - this was somehow nowhere near as good as his own Shiraz, especially the Amon-Ra which we tasted alongside. Dark blackish purple colour. Nose was sweet and very richly fruited, with a touch of meatiness. Neither Alex nor I could quite pick it apart though, because it seemed rather closed and monolithic. Maybe it was going through a dumb phase. Better on the palate, which showed lots of extract, more of that nice meatiness, tons of black fruit, all very thick and concentrated with lots of stuffing. Nice balance though, with velvety tannins and some fresh acid bringing relief to the heavy fruit. Nice long finish with a touch of mocha. Certainly well made, and very hedonistic and voluptuous, but this was not really my style - I found it all a little OTT. May get better as the sweetness tones down a little, but then again, it does seem rather simple and straightforward and I'm not sure if time can cure that.
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9/13/2008 - alejandrofernan wrote: 96 Points
Very good,tasted twice . Big and tasty with a beautiful finish...
One of my best buys this year.
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9/13/2008 - winemanintheden wrote: 94 Points
fantastic! nose was quite closed off at first. beautiul berries, tar, dark fruits. the palette was really nice. sweet cherries, blackberries. freshness, extremely balanced. slippery tannins. ranked vs. the 04 heartland director's cut, i'd say i like this one better. better balance, really fresh and everything in its place. had a similar sweetness to the wallace. fruit was really vibrant and intense from the 05 vintage. enjoyed this one very much. still young and will improve!
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9/12/2008 - A&C wrote: 89 Points
The color is a rich, deep, dark and brooding purple/black. The nose is -- well -- black fruity syrah. On the palate, the wine is still big, tannic, rich, deep, brooding, and extended. My wife described the wine as rich and kind of plummy -- kind of tasty. It paired well with the home-made osso bucco slow cooked in $2-buck chuck, paired with artichoke heart dip, rich in hearts. There are raisins, plums, and rich, deep, dark fruits, even figs, lurking in this beast. My hunch was that this needs many years -- it does. It is still way, way too, too young to open now. Please wait.
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9/7/2008 - zenfurni wrote:
Good color, as expected from any Australian Shiraz. The first thing that jumped out was the dark fruit. There was quite an alcoholic burn, but beyond that the most noticeable flavor was a strong licorice anis, which blended quite well with the dark fruit. There might have been some other herbs, like eucalyptus and mint. Very distinctive, and pretty enjoyable as well. After being out for a couple hours, it acquired more of an earthy, "bloody" aspect. Very interesting and enjoyable, just a lot of alcohol up front.
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9/4/2008 - birdman5828 wrote: 91 Points
Black Rasberry and spice, very enjoyable. Tried it as part of an Austrailian tasting. I would like to see how I like it if I slowly had a couple of glasses through a long evening. Enough structure to last a few more years.I will revisit another bottle down the road.
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8/16/2008 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
I did compare this to the Elderton Command and the Command is better. Would I rather have two bottles of this Mitolo or one of the Command? OK, Yes I would rather have one bottle of the Command. But, darn it, this is still outstanding. So much wine, my liver may be my largest internal organ but it needs to be bigger.
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8/12/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
A step-down from the previous bottle.
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8/5/2008 - kietkopelli wrote: 85 Points
I bought this wine based on the reviews here but I must say I was very disappointed. I expected a heavy weight but the bottle I got pales in comparison to other Australian Syrahs. OK I got the licorice and black cherries but not much else and it wasn't even that big. If you compared this to a Mollydooker Two Left Feet the think the MD will probably blow it away in term of intensity. If you compare this to a Elderton Command or a Two Hand's Bella's Garden they will blow it away in terms of complexity granted they're not in the same price point.
In the mouth this wine tasted fine: nothing offensive, nothing outstanding in comparison to other AU and CA Syrah.
For the money I'd load up on the Two Left Feet and splurge on a Bella's Garden every once in a while.
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7/29/2008 - MattiH wrote: 94 Points
Decanted approx. 45 minutes before drinking (had a taste also right away, of course). Black berries, hint of oak, liquorice, and black pepper on the nose. Flavours party in the mouth. Tail is long and after the decanting smooth and very enjoyable. Quite a heavy experience.
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7/24/2008 - rherman wrote: 92 Points
fruitbomb
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7/5/2008 - M DU VIN wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Cleary the WOTN among several really good wines. Great with a wonderful chees course.
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6/23/2008 - Garfield wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Deep red / purple in the glass. It didn't have much of a nose at first with just pencil lead and muted dark plum. Initial taste was deep and complex with plum and dark fruits along with mocha and some herbal notes. The finish was at least 30 seconds and the wine wine seemed to evolve somewhat over the night.
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6/17/2008 - Atomic Punk wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding... Need to try again! This bottle was tasted on a 8btl wine tasting marathon w/ Ben and Mike. Dense, rich black fruits with notes of lavendar, tar, pepper, and meats. Big boy wine at its best.
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6/16/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 94 Points
Rich, full bodied with loads of lush black fruit flavours (black cherries, licorice, blackberry) with plenty of spice, tannin and structure. 45+ second finish. This Shiraz should drink well for 5-10 years.
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6/9/2008 - shaneajohnson wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes, but this was my second WOTN i(behind a Saxon) n a steep lineup. Dirnking very well right now, but has plenty of life left.
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5/29/2008 - jamieirving wrote: 76 Points
The Sampler (Angel, London): Deep, rich purple in colour. The nose is very savoury - earthy and vegetal characters. The palate is full bodied and intense. Blackberry, blueberry, spice and a whole heap of tannins. Lacking a little finesse and balance.
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5/22/2008 - unrelenting wrote: 90 Points
typically don't like Shiraz but this black cherry bomb is decent if you're not pairing w/ food. Complex flavors of black cherry and pepper with a long finish. Too hot though.
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5/16/2008 - incident wrote: 93 Points
Clear, deep ruby with red edges. Clean, medium plus intensity aromas of black and red berry, pepper, spicy oak, coffee and chocolate. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium plus body. Flavors match aromas, with a lingering blueberry finish. Excellent wine. Years of life ahead.
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5/10/2008 - LeechDogg wrote:
Real soft, ready to drink now.
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5/3/2008 - rumpole wrote: 93 Points
Great mouth feel without too much heat. Good vibrant fruit with a layer of carmel bacon fat oak influence. Long lasting.
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5/2/2008 - Arcee wrote: 94 Points
Really impressive depth and nose. One of the best ever, especially at long-running sale price $29.95, list at $44.95 (Colorado)
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4/27/2008 - RPerro wrote: 97 Points
Sunday Dinner (Jeff McHugh's): Decanted 4 1/2 hours prior to first taste. INCREDIBLE! Upon decant, the aromas consumed my apartment. 4 1/2 hours later, the nose was still incredible fruit and pepper. The palate was overwhelmed with blueberry and pepper, with vanilla and mocha/coffee flavors. Wow. The biggest, most intense wine I've ever tasted. Absolutely incredible! Extrordinary - 97 points.
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3/31/2008 - jfujita wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Nice intense and rich wine but would have liked more depth and complexity.
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3/31/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 90 Points
We really enjoy this wine...please see prior notes.
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3/30/2008 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 93 Points
Captivating nose of plum, dried flowers, a little grass, very expressive. Full mouthfeel, like stewed plums. Not my style, but an incredible wine.
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3/27/2008 - joshwoodward wrote: 91 Points
Very Aussie! Very big and jammy, but not cloying. Not super complex, but yummy. Subtle, too. I'm getting somewhat sick of this style. Strawberry.
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3/26/2008 - Vette Z06 wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing!
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3/23/2008 - dbg wrote:
big fruity forward but some tannins, this will last longer than the
'06 Carnival of Love
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3/22/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 90 Points
Purple opaque color. Nose of briary fruits, smoke, tar. Palate of salt, blackberries, blueberries, spice, pepper, heat. Big wine.
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3/14/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Lots of explosive fruit. Plums and blackberries with a big old oak monster creeping up behind.
BUT the oak monster is friendly! Well integrated oak in the tannins reveals a silky and very smooth wine.
Excellent opulent mouth feel is like silk in your mouth. Awesome long finish. Great after a few hours decanted.
Very exciting. Parker was almost right on with his 95 plus rating.
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3/11/2008 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
In relation to my previous notes, this was less complex than the earlier bottles (which I'd scored 92-94), but still delicious. Lots of powerful blackberry flavor with some nice brown spice notes. Good finish.
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3/5/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Australian Shiraz Retailer Tasting: 3rd time I have had this and I've liked it slightly better each time. Still not up to the WA95 though. Dark color with notes of anise, leather and an earthy core of dark fruit. I would not call this a very fruity shiraz though. 91 points.
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3/1/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 90 Points
Popped and decanted for 6 hours, however, I reserved a small amount in a glass for an initial tasting. Right out of the bottle the nose was rather closed and didn't really offer much...tasted of chocolate, plum, and finished a little hot and tannic which was to be expected. After 6 hours the nose had opened up a little (less than I expected) and I could tell it was trying to do its thing...tasted of black fruit, chocolate...mid palate was nice and finish long; a well balanced wine. Second night was much different, nose had developed much more than prior evening, heat had all but dissipated, and the wine was far better with more subtle notes of raspberry and a little oak showing up...perhaps this should be cellared for another 3 years or so. I would not pass this up if offered and will most likely grab another bottle or two.
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2/29/2008 - rael007 wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as usual, perhaps due to the lateness of the hour, food consumed, other wines, etc., but it was just overpoweringly sweet, jammy. Lots of quality there, but not the right time to drink, I suspect. This is a wine to drink when you are HUNGRY for wine.
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2/18/2008 - Grape Stuff wrote: 94 Points
Bottle Open: Nose of rubber and spice with black fruit undertones. Not as hot as expected and more multi-layered than most Aussie shiraz. The mouth is a bit muted, but an already luscious, mouth coating wine. Medium finish, accentuated by black fruit. Definitely fruit forward, but so far not an OTP oaky fruit bomb. Impressive. 90+
Two Hour Decant: Nose of black currant, bacon fat, blackberry, black tea, black truffle and a hint of cream. Mouth of red currant, bright red fruit on front palate. Luscious, well-integrated tannins, tart blackberries, plum and christmas spices on the finish. Medium-long finish (I usually don't like putting a time to the finish, but this was easily 60+ seconds), good acidity, not overly creamy. This would do well with some lamb or grilled meats. Really starting to open up. There is A LOT going on here. 92-94
Three Hour Decant: Nose has consistent notes as hour 2, but with a bit more black fruit and cream , although a slightly hot nose. Mouth also had consistent notes as hour 2 - very polished wine - ripe strawberry notes. Not flabby at all. Wait at least another year to open a bottle. Should improve for 3-5 years. This is an OUTSTANDING bottle of shiraz. 94+
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2/1/2008 - tonygoldstone wrote: 94 Points
Shoshana's Birthday Wines!: Magnum. 40 quid from Harvey Nichols thanks to the damages label. Cork. 2 hour decant. Riedel Syrah. Dense inky colour. Huge nose of ripe black fruits, graphite, spice, pepper, smoke and a great earthiness. Big rich velvety palate with lots of forward fruit, but like the dead arm, still a little hot. Will try left overs tomorrow. Not going to raid my GAM stash for another year or so!
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1/28/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Binny's Shiraz Tasting (St. Charles, Illinois): 2nd time I have had this. 100% Shiraz. Medium to full bodied. Notes of mocha and blackberry. I liked this slightly more than my first bottle. 90 points.
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1/26/2008 - rael007 wrote: 90 Points
A bit tighter, more alcoholic, and more saline than the last time I had this. Missing was the floral aromas that were so enticing, but this was still a good wine.
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1/21/2008 - lano wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple in color. Anise, anise, and anise on the nose. Dense black fruit and licorice on the palate. Finish was extremely long and supple. Tannins were present, but definitely not overpowering. Still, a powerful wine at this stage and would be a great pair for a thick slab of meat. The finish was the best part of the wine, and holds promise for greater things from this wine with a few years of cellaring.
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1/20/2008 - GreatLibations wrote: 89 Points
Dense, purple ink with subdued aromas of muscular darkfruit, anise, and mild spice. Full nectar, sturdy tannins, with rich and concentrated blackfruit. The finish is long with brisk acidity and a touch of oak. Cellar for another two years.
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1/16/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Aussie Wines Offline (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna, CA): I'm kind of bummed by this wine because I actually have quite a bit of it in my cellar. Reductive aromas followed by black raspberry and black cherry on the palate. Very drinkable, but with the wealth of wines at this tasting, just not interesting enough to keep my attention.
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1/2/2008 - dtirsell wrote: 92 Points
Very well integrated, dark in color. rich blackberry, cola flavors, not tannic but a big shiraz. Decanted for 2 hours, smooth as butter. Twirling a teaspoon in the glass brings up an incredible nose. Finish is very long.
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12/31/2007 - Bob Fyke wrote: 92 Points
Opaque purple. Lots of coffee, fresh blackberry and smokey brambles on the rich, solid nose. Charred bramble again on the palate, blackberry and a bit of a sage with a nice grip. A beautiful wine that could use just a bit of acid, but is otherwise thouroughly enjoyable.
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12/31/2007 - gellie wrote: 89 Points
Not nearly as good as last bottle
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12/26/2007 - AtlantaBill wrote: 89 Points
Dark, almost black color. Aroma of black pepper, brier. Taste of plum and blackberry with a long, lush, burning finish.
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12/25/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant; 3 hour drinking window. Good timing.
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12/10/2007 - nomadfromcincy wrote:
I tasted this bottle five days after it was opened - it had been gassed to preserve. It was prototypical Aussie - loads of creamy, jammy fruit - blueberry, wild strawberry, blackberry! Silky on the palate - I don't love this wine because it doesn't have unique character... but it is a fine bottle of wine if you like Shiraz.
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12/8/2007 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Initially a rather off-putting green pepper and unpleasant nose. Blew off after awhile. Then much improved nose of black pepper, blackberry and blueberry. Very sweet, spicy and extracted but managed to hide the 15.9 % quite well. Low acidity and soft tannin. Medium length. Very enjoying wine. The last half of the bottle was particularly impressive. Got more complex. Outstanding.
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12/5/2007 - rael007 wrote: 93 Points
Consistently good. This was a bit cold, but still had the great flowery, rich, deep flavors. A very fine wine.
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12/3/2007 - woodchuckwinemaker wrote:
I know a lot of people like these wines, but I just don't get them. Too much alcohol, too one dimensional. I try and try to give these wines a chance, but I just don't like them. Didn't even go well with food, I had braised lamb shanks. I have one more of these bottles. Maybe it will give me something different in another 2 years.
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11/30/2007 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Fun to drink now, but will improve for the patient.
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11/26/2007 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
This was opened by Anwar at a dinner he hosted at his home including Jcubed and Scubarex. This is the 2nd time I have had a GAM. The first was the 2001 which was almost as big a fruit bomb as this wine. I liked the 2001 better than the 2005. I was unaware of any ratings for this wine before I tried it. Once I tasted it I thought to myself that this is a Parker 96 pointer. When I looked up the score, it turns out I was a point off. Parker gave this 95 points. My score is nowhere close to that. Inky black color. Very thick and viscous. I found be a huge concentrated wine which was all power and very little finesse or balance. It was interested for what it was but not a wine that provided me with a lot of drinking pleasure. Very grapey and chocolatey. Parker called this wine a "tour de force in winemaking". In my opinion this was a "tour de force in woodworking". This was one of the most oaky wines I have tried. Thought I would be pulling splinters out from between my teeth after this wine. 87-88 points.
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11/16/2007 - A&C wrote:
This is a limited review. Consumed by parents at Cate's 6th B-day. My memory is that it was rich, but young. Needs time. Has some thick sherry-like quality. Not yet open. Hidden fruit. Check in when Cate is 12.
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11/15/2007 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby. Spicy, vanilla, oak, cedar and scorched earth. Quite sweet, spicy and juicy in the mouth. Very heavy. Had a instant headache after a couple glasses.
On day 2, blueberry and secondary aroma of kirsh, leather and long sweet oak. Not as heavy but still not hiding the alcohol. 88 points on day 1 and 91 on day 2.
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11/10/2007 - dawgdaze wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before serving. What a delicious wine! Blackberry, black tea, spice box and a hint of licorice. A well balanced and long finish. I can't wait to try this wine with 2 years of cellar time
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10/28/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 4 hours.
Rich blackberry nose. Deep currant, vanilla, cocoa, and cherry, with a long, tingly finish.
The next day, it was even a bit deeper--a Marianas Trench of currant.
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10/28/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 91 Points
a bruiser. Young, rich, seemless. Very good especially if you like the bruiser Oz style. Will age well, but will it improve? I don't know.
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10/22/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Fantastic.
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10/21/2007 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Mama!
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10/13/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. A little reticent at first, took about 1/2 hour to wake up, remember to decant if drinking again. After opening up, great nose of black fruit and anise. Dense and powerful on the palate with blueberry, black currant, and black pepper. Finishes spicy and a little hot, very young and primary right now. Superb now, will improve with age. Screaming value @ $37.
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10/12/2007 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Great bottle, dominated by brown spices and roasted herbs unlike I've noticed in the G.A.M.'s before. Beautiful fruit underneath, blackberry, black cherry, and cassis, as elegant and balanced as I've ever experienced a Mitolo wine to be. From 375 ml screwtop.
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10/12/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
decanted for ~3 hours. Super dark purple color
nose: real seductive nose. Getting a nice strong bit of rasberry, blackberry, vanilla, and some candied cherry. real poweful and pungent
taste: real big mouth feel. Getting the blackberry, cherry, and rasberry aspects on the mouth. Really coats your pallate here
overall: a real high quality wine. Real good firm structure. THe tannins are kicking a bit, but that's just to be expected. It leaves a real good finish. This isn't very over the top either, the fruit is forward, but it integrates very well on the whole. An extremely well made wine
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10/1/2007 - rael007 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful as usual. Needs aeration, though for best results. Three hours decanted, in fridge, covered, then brought to drinking range (mid 60s?) was the best.
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9/23/2007 - Magnolian wrote: 89 Points
Bought with dinner at Cascadia for $80. Good and silky, but a little too restrained after the Buty which our party liked better. Admittedly a tough act to follow.
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9/22/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Big, dense, chewey and always a crowd pleaser.
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9/15/2007 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Chris Freemott's (Chicago): Big and dense with lots of spice, black fruits and hints of oak and coffee. Felt very young and primary.
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9/9/2007 - 100pp wrote: 91 Points
Tasted during Masterclass by Ben Glaetzer in Amsterdam. Definitely more interesting than the Jester shiraz. More complexity. New oak adds to that.
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9/7/2007 - MrSnooty wrote: 90 Points
Very good!
Dark red, bordering on purple colour. Rich, velvety texture with smooth tannins and little acidity. The fruit is proiminent but not overwhelming - blueberries and ripe plums - without being over-sweet or overdone. Lower alcohol than some Aussie Shiraz's - this is still defininitely New World Shirax, yet it has a hint of old-world complexity to round out the ripe, fruity flavour. Really pleasant wine to savour on it;s own or with food (meat, roasts, braai). Doesn't need much decanting to be drinkable, which is nice.
Cork closure.
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9/6/2007 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
375ml bottle.
Consistent with previous note, with this one being a little more primary (perhaps because sharing a half-bottle resulted in less development from time in the air...). Very nice, rich, well-balanced wine.
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9/2/2007 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
Unfortunately I didn't have the time to decant but noted that it did open up tremendously over a couple of hours. Hot at first, which was expected, but settled down to show tremendous fruit and great balance. I haven't been a big Aussie fan as of late but this shows a lot of promise for the future and will pick up a few more to try in a few years.
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8/25/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant. The more, the better. 4-6 hrs is probably ideal to soften this up, unless you like to get slapped in the face with tons of fruit and tannin.
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8/18/2007 - slippytoad wrote: 92 Points
Impressive, large but a little hot on the palate.
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8/18/2007 - MarcInDSM wrote: 91 Points
Tremendous amount of fruit. It's not exactly my style but I can still appreciate it for what it is.
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8/12/2007 - zinslurpie wrote:
Popped, decanted for an hour, married with grilled fillet mignon rubbed with herbes de provence, salt, pepper (mushroom wine sauce included the GAM.) Delicious accompaniment to the steaks. However, I think the wine was just starting to show its nuances. To bad there was none left to contemplate after dinner.
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7/31/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 95 Points
another great bottle. consistent notes as before.
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7/12/2007 - rael007 wrote: 94 Points
Served a bit on the cool side. I think this needs more time to decant than 15 minutes I gave it. Even then, it was still too cool, as fruits were muted. That vanilla, flower scent poked through, but not with the same intensity as last times. Very good wine, nevertheless.
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7/6/2007 - dharri1 wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle.
typical shiraz. Pepper, spice.
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7/6/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 87 Points
Drunk after a 2005 Turley Old Vines Zin, this had none of the structure that the Turley showed. A total fruit bomb, this had no nuance or character to it. If you like your wines big and primary, load up on this one.
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7/3/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 89 Points
I was not impressed with this style of wine. Largely medicinal in flavor, it was a raspberry and blackberry bomb in my mouth and lacked true depth and did not unfold over time into a winner. Maybe I just don't like these Australian styles of wine????
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6/29/2007 - Moorese wrote: 90 Points
Even after a two hour decant, the nose was still rather pensive, showing blackberry, bramble, some vanilla, and pepper. The core of blackberry fruit was tight and focused with nice lift and good (but not yet outstanding) length. There were also a few nuances such as a smokey, burnt ashpalt quality that I don't usually get in a young GAM (I know RP does, but I don't...). I expect this bottle will merit a score around 95 once some rough edges soften and the finish lengthens. I don't find the alcohol obtrusive at all, but the components seem just a little disjointed. Still, a very pleasurable bottle with tremendous upside. I really like these right at release and at 5+ years out.
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6/10/2007 - incident wrote: 94 Points
Paired with filet mignon, mushroom risotto and tomato with goat cheese. Excellent as always. Completely overpowered a couple of 1996 & 1997 Napa Cabs that were also being served. Hard to compete with a youthful Aussie like Mitolo.
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6/9/2007 - Rich Hanna wrote: 93 Points
G.A.M. never fails to please me. Right out of the gate this shiraz was packed and ready to go. Intense forward fruit balanced by bracing acidity. With time, the mouth feel deepened, became more rich and creamy, and the acid took a step back to let some of the oak show through.
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6/4/2007 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted for 20 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark magenta/purple in color. On the nose, dark berries, minerals, and light spice. On the palate, blueberries, black raspberries, espresso, and vanilla on the very long 30-second finish. Well-structured and balanced with a lively acidity, this wine displays a laser-like precision. Though perhaps lacking the intoxicating sexiness of an Old World Rhone, the quality of the pure fruit shines through and never fails to please.
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6/2/2007 - groper1234 wrote: 91 Points
Had this wine in 2 nites. This wine needs long time decanting. On first nite was very acoholic and Tannic. Very full but hot acohol. Almost porty like. On the 2nd nite it became alot better. Bouquet of Dark Plums and Cedary oak and Black berries and cassis. Mind you it is still abit hot in second nite but much more approchable. Palate is Very full and Rich with dark cocoa and Vanilla. It is Very Smooth and Rich like thick cream. Somehow Acohol feels stronger than 14.5%. Very well made wine but I was expecting much more as Ben Glaetzer is considered geneus in Wine making. I've got a bottle of Amon Ra 2005, I hope it is alot better! You will either love this or hate it!
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5/28/2007 - brianmik wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with others. The nose was "shy," probably b/c I didn't decant, but just left the wine out for a bit in open bottle, and again in the glass. A very smooth and complex wine.
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5/27/2007 - stevewine wrote:
needs at less 12 months
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5/25/2007 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Garagiste Treasure Hunt (Rios d' Sudamerica - Chicago, IL): Nose was rather nondescript with sweet black fruits. Rich, ripe black fruits, herbs and spice on the palate. Lush and very primary.
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5/24/2007 - sinebubble wrote:
Thick and jammy. Vegetation near the end. Excellent.
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5/20/2007 - sinebubble wrote:
Drank at Steelhead with friends. Gotta start hiding these away before they're all gone! Amazing, as usual.
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5/19/2007 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Plum, chocolate, oak and some spice on the nose, rich, concentrated palate with sweet dark fruit flavours, firm tannins and a long, powerful finish.
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5/6/2007 - glaze3 wrote: 88 Points
i'm a huge fan of barossa valley shiraz but after 4 hr decant this was still closed hopefully this will be better in a few years. right now it's just black fruits and alot of oak.
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5/5/2007 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and poured immediately, and let it wait in the glass for half an hour before tasting. That first taste was a little dismaying, the wine was shy on the nose and a little closed on the palate, too. After another two hours it began to come alive, first with blueberry and spices, with a delightful note of orange peel. At three hours it was still opening up, but was becoming richer and darker, with blackberry and creme de cassis, and smoky, cedar notes, and the finish was growing broad and long. I suspect it could have used another couple hours in the decanter, and I think I might hold off at least until early 2008 before trying this again. Really outstanding right now, but I expect that there may be a couple more points to be gained by further development and a better showing.
Side note: Curious to try this soon after tasting the '05 Amon-Ra to see how the wines compared in the same vintage. The Amon-Ra is distinctive for its lithe acidity and exceptional elegance, showing a gymnast's stength in comparison to the brawn of the G.A.M, but I think the G.A.M. is still coming together. The '05 G.A.M. doesn't seem to be quite the wine the '04 was at this stage.
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4/28/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle.
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4/22/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 94 Points
Needs some decant time, but very lush, rich and sweet. Have since found this for as low as $35, and a great everyday drinker at that price.
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4/20/2007 - rael007 wrote: 96 Points
Quite simply one of the best wines I have ever had. This wine had an unearthly perfume of exotic flowers and spices. Very pleasant fruit and a fine finish. Absolutely superb. Decanted two bottles into a clean flower vase, covered with foil in the refrigerator for three hours, then at room temperature for about an hour.
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4/15/2007 - Dale M wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Rather than go into great details recapping tasting descriptors, nose profile etc, I would rather summarize on the tasting experience here. Super deep, concentrated dark blackberry flavors assault the palate, with waves and waves of flavor. The new oak, while aggressive, was in sync with the fruit and didn’t distract from the primordial drinking experience. Tannins were sweet and juicy, providing a much needed foundation to hold this house together. The most amazing thing about this wine is that I kept thinking to myself “ok, yeah the fruit is killer , blah blah blah, but its going to get tired soon after a glass or two”. Never happened. Somehow, things stayed fresh enough to keep me coming back for more, all the while providing a hedonistic black fruit spectacular. Not my normal cup of tea, but very well done Shiraz.
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4/14/2007 - wcacern wrote:
Ne Plus Ultra: The 95 & up club: WA95. huge! wow. just a baby in it's aging potential. big puckering tannins, tremendous fruit extraction. nice oak integration.
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3/29/2007 - sinebubble wrote:
GAM just never disappoints. Jammy, earthy nose that punches you out and then douses you with dark fruit/blackberrys.
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3/29/2007 - tbdman wrote: 93 Points
Great Aussie Shiraz
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3/22/2007 - Jester wrote: 93 Points
Once Upon a Vine XIII - New Orleans, LA by Martin Wine Cellar (Pavillion of Two Sisters): HEY!!! Who doesn't love the Mitolo G.A.M..........This is a big 'ole Mumba Juhumba mouth fulla fruit. Of course, there's the ridiculously high Aussie residual sugar, but to tell the truth, its not as bad as some. I really love the G.A.M. and the Elderton Command. They're probably my two favorite Aussie's in this price range. Big fruity nose of black currant, figs, blackberry jam, cherry pie, fruit punch, and even a hint of stone and mineral. Tannins are velvety soft and balance nicely with the gobs of fruit. Big mouth full of cherries, ripe blackberry, figs, berry pastry, mayhaw jelly, and a little bit of an interesting sandy beach flavor. You've got to knwo what you're getting into, but if you are a New World fan and you don't mind the fruit bombs, then this is one that isn't too over the top and provides tons of flavor. A real delight to drink and I need to put a few in my cellar. I, personally, think that these wines will age quite gracefully. If you love the G.A.M. , try the Savitar. I prefer it because its a Shiraz/Cabernet blend, and in my opinion, it has a little less juicy fruit and a little more complexity.
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3/22/2007 - SBA Guru wrote: 94 Points
Delicious and very approachable, will undoubtably age well for years. Big with a smooth middle and a big finish
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3/11/2007 - stevewine wrote:
great will get even better with age
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3/10/2007 - ths wrote: 94 Points
Same notes as before, smokey tar on the nose, licorice and black fruit with a bracing finish over the juicy fruit. It's an outstanding wine at any price point, but as it is quite affordable, truly extraordinary. 94
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3/9/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about three hours prior to first taste. Decanted deep plum-black coloring, but not as syrupy as many young shiraz. Cigar and faint blueberry on the nose. Had strong alcohol early on, which diminished during the 2 hour drinking window after the 3hr. decant. Great fruit, a hint of tar, cedar and a little sweetness - also early on, and fading a bit over time. Very approachable today, at least with the air we allowed, and should last for many years to come. A definate buy at the $39 I typically see it for locally.
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2/24/2007 - 2FlyingYorkies wrote: flawed
Corked.
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2/21/2007 - incident wrote: 95 Points
Took a good 30 minutes in the glass to even begin to show what was to come. Deep dark, blues and reds in the glass, nearly opaque right up to the edge. Huge blueberry, blackberry, chocolate, coffee aromas jumped from the glass. Leather notes, spice, earth, forest, red/blue/black fruit compote. Very long, smooth and well integrated. No heat at all. This wine is showing very well today, but holds a lot of promise for two or more years of bottle age.
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2/18/2007 - lorenzo wrote: 91 Points
Nose of violet candies, blackberry liquer and leather. undertones of heat as well. Fresh and bright red and black fruit attack the palate immediately. acidity takes over on the mid palate through the lingering finish... giving the impression that the wine is lighter than it is. almost a refreshing finish that invites another taste to see what you may have missed. Still opening up as we finished - consumed too quickly (1-2hrs). This has a ways to go.
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2/17/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 96 Points
Simply awesome bottle of wine. AC and I shared this as well as the 04 larkmead cab. Both were equally impressive. The GAM was a bit tight at first, so we got into the larkmead initially. After about an hour in the decanter, this was phenomenal. Smooth as could be; big and fruity but elegant as anything I've ever had. Best shiraz of the year by far. Glad I have two more in the cellar!
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2/5/2007 - PontetCanet wrote: 92 Points
Really, very delicious. Blueberry nose and taste. Long finish. Great value at $35 a bottle.
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2/4/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 96 Points
Second bottle I have had recently.
This bottle was somewhat closed at first. I had a bit right out of the bottle while the rest decanted for about 2 hours. This wine got better and better as time lapsed. Very dense and opaque. Full bodied and full flavored. A nice spicy, long lingering finish with excellent balance. I am extremely impressed again.
40+5+5+18+19+9=96
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2/4/2007 - last chance wrote: 94 Points
Really inky color. Nose of candied fruit and vanilla. Flavors of blackberry, currant and cedar and more vanilla. Full bodied with a great velvety mouthfeel. 30 second finish that made you want to taste the wine all over again. Great stuff and a great value.
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2/3/2007 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Full yet builds to a long spicy finish
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2/3/2007 - cmr wrote: 88 Points
Agree with mmurry, a little expensive for what your getting and not sure how much better it will get although I feel it has some good potential. Also agree with this needs at least 2 or more years in the cellar. Decanted for 5 hours. Dark fruit that was restrained and touches of vannilla, still a little tannic after the 5 hour decant. 88 pts now with long decant time, will have to see how it develops in a few years.
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1/27/2007 - gellie wrote: 93 Points
great
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1/26/2007 - Mark wrote:
Not sure what happened here. The wine was certainly big, but I found it terribly closed and muted. Was this an off bottle? I’ll try another one.
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1/24/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely awesome wine. Young and fruity and big and up-to-the-challenge. What can I say - one of the finest, hugest wines I have had the privilege of drinking. Great nose, huge fruit and a smooth finish that lasts for days. Some may classify this wine as a three-course meal. I want seconds. And a midnight snack.
I will be happily spending my next paycheck on as much of this as I can get. Will age beautifully for a long time. Definitely in my top 10 all time.
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1/23/2007 - Red Mountain Man wrote: 95 Points
Very nice shiraz, with as much staying power as the Oliverhill Jimmy Section but with more elegance. Enough fruit and tannin to let this one go past the usual 3-4 year window I see most Australian shiraz surviving before the fruit becomes victim to the alchohol. Now one of my top go-to Australian wines, along with Two Hands and Oliverhill. Getting a 6 pack to see how it evolves.
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1/20/2007 - GolferChris wrote: 96 Points
Amazing Aussie Tasting- 38 Wines (Binny's, Schaumburg, IL (NW Suburbs - Chicago)): Fabulous wine. Deep purple color. Intoxicating aromas of blueberry, blackberry, leather, licorice, pepper, spice and earth. Intense, concentrated and layered flavors in the mouth. Incredible balance and structure creates a regal mouthfeel. Every bit as good as the amazing 2003 and 2004 vintages, maybe even better. Deep and complex wine with 45+ second finish. Expect this wine to get better over the next several years in the bottle. The overall quality that Mitolo has delivered over the last 3 years has few rivals. Stunning value at $42.
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1/12/2007 - A&C wrote: 95 Points
Clean black color. Rich, full nose. Leather and earth on the nose. Complex, big wine. Lingering long finish. This is a big, full Shiraz. I did not want to crack early, but due to circumstances beyond my control involving a reason to pre-maturely anticipate a possible future celebration, we said, "what the hell." This is a full bodied wine -- lead pencil, glycerin, coffee, tar, and molasses. This is an amazingly full and complete wine considering its very young age. Holy shit, this is going to blow out the doors in a few years. Saddle leather, aged wood, mushrooms, and only a distant whif or echo of the underlying fruit. This is the opposite of a fruit bomb. This is deep, rich, and elegant. The word is "rich". I am amazed at what a showing this brooding beast makes in its adolescence. Please do you and your friends a favor -- buy all of this you can find -- now. Luckily, in our little backwoods government controlled oasis, its here. Is it there?
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1/6/2007 - mmurry wrote: 88 Points
Australia & New Zealand (Farpointe Cellar): This wine was tasty, but a bit expensive. The nose had a good balance of black currant, cherry, and pepper. There was also some vanilla. The palate was black currant and cedar, plus a hint of forest floor. The finish was good too.
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1/5/2007 - godx wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 3hrs. Dark ruby red/purple in colour. Tight on the nose at first, but opened up nicely after a few minutes to give a nose of sour cherries, clove, mushrooms, wood chips with underlying earthy tones. Flavors of dark cherries and plum, asparagus, with a little bit of heat on the mid palate. Long finish with some heat and an abundance of firm tannins. Pucker city! Approach again in 5 years.
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1/5/2007 - ths wrote: 94 Points
Big fruit, smokey, tar and licorice. Seems to be drinking well now after a couple of hours. Very nice value, as can be found for around $30. 5+13+17+9=94
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1/2/2007 - Captain R wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Buttery, sweet fruit, sublime mouthfeel, simply delicious. I know I should lay some of this down, but it is sooo goood.
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12/25/2006 - rael007 wrote: 95 Points
Yup, this one deserves it. An entry, saline in its intensity, is simply stunning, and a buttery, unctuous finish closes out the towering mouthfull. Between the two was gobs of dark fruit, a hint of smoke and earth. Wow. What a killer wine. I could have drunk the entire bottle. Lip-smackingly delicious and for the price, a great value. I need more.
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12/21/2006 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. This shiraz exhibited a dark purple color with the color getting a bit lighter on the tinges. On the nose, aromas of raspberries, blackberries, plum with hints of pepper and dark chocolate. On the palate, flavors of blackberries and sweet plums rushed to my mouth quickly followed by hints of toffee, coffee, and dark chocolate leading into a smooth, lush finish. Well integrated fruit with nice acidity and tannin structure. Another impressive 2005 Mitolo Shiraz. HS94
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12/8/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 96 Points
Ever since I first tried Two Hands wine, I've been looking for a shiraz I liked as much. I've tried pretty much all the sandard Austrailan big name shiraz and be disapointed again and again. Mitolo GAM was one of the few remaining to try. This time I wasn't disappointed. Dark color, silky mouth feel, full body, black fruit, peper. Just fanastic, I'll be seeking out more of this for my cellar. Excellent!
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11/18/2006 - BDoolin wrote: 94 Points
Decanted hours after delivery for evaluation purposes (hahaha!) this is going to be a great bottle of wine after it settles down. Bright ruby, a touch muted on the nose, some initial sweet redfruits, offers hints of deep blackfruit, currant, spices, mild pepper. Seems balanced, very promising. Harvested at 2.3 tonnes per acre, 16 months in 70% new oak. 94+
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11/10/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 96 Points
Now that this is on the shelves I had to give it a go. So new the bottom of the cork is barely pink. We were stunned how drinkable this is. Close to black in colour and initially largely closed to the nose, this came right out of the bottle with beautiful, well developed and smooth flavours of coffee, dark fruit, toffee and back end spice. Still slightly out of balance and promising great things for the future, but absolutely delicious now.
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