This drank so much better than a much more evolved bottle consumed a couple of months ago. Deep purple in appearance. Ripe, sweet blackberry fruit with mocha and some iodine notes. Full-bodied mouthful of velvety rich dark fruit flows seamlessly across the palate with some spice and a pronounced dark cherry note. Well-balanced for such a big wine. A superb bottle and very enjoyable.
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It's been a few years since I've had a bottle of this. This has now tipped over the edge from the exuberance it had in its youth to a slightly past its best mature fruit bomb. Still an impenetrable dark colour but with a slight rusty sheen, a mix of sweet blackberry with some prominent pruney notes and its 15.5% abv very much in evidence. Almost too rich. Lots of mature fruit on the palate and with considerable length, but just lacking freshness. An hour decant improved the experience.
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Vinnørd. Dense and dark. Whif of acetone on the nose. Very powerful fruit bomb, but still nicely balanced and great length. Not my favorite style, but well made and winner of the 6 bottle Syrah tasting!
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decanted and served 40 minutes after opening. There was lots of sweet fruit while decanting but the first sip showed more smoke and savory black olive, and the acidity was on the high side with a sharp, alcoholic nose. Thirty minutes later this was so fragrant with lovely spices. A little sweet on the palate now. Drinking beautifully after an hour. Alcohol was still definitely on the high side, but the nose was so sweet and ripe it was like honey.
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Very little experience with Shiraz so I won’t score it, but it was very nice indeed. Blueberry and a bit of vanilla? Tannins fully integrated it was ready to go straight out of the bottle but didn’t fade even after several hours in the decanter. Excellent wine and it only cost me £25!
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Black in the glass with alcohol legs. Butter on the nose, camphor and blackfruit. Cassis, liquorice, raisins, coffee, some brine and mouth filling acid, long palate. At its peak.
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Dense inky purple colored, rich, full bodied and concentrated yet well balanced black and blue berry fruits with floral, cinnamon and clove spices, cassis, licorice and espresso turning to firm but approachable tannins on a long finish.
Still drinking nicely but showing its age a bit at sixteen years, the fruits are taking on a burnt raisin layer indicating its time to drink as this is past its prime and will continue to decline from here forward. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/02/kilikanoon-oracle-shiraz-2004.html
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Opened this at Yummy Palace to celebrate two birthdays with my close friends. We had the signature pig stomach soup, crab congee, deep fried fish skin, roast pork cube, silver bait fish, roasted duck, iced sweet and sour pork, palace beancurd, scallops with green dragon vegetables, and deep fried bee hoon.
Brick red in colour with nose of roasted coffee, dark berries, black chocolate, aged leather and fresh toast. At fifteen years of age, this wine has matured gracefully and i believe it can age for another 5 more years. Silky and smooth with the occasion kink, this wine is a shining example of a well made wine given ample time to develop beautifully. Went well with the roasted duck and sweet and sour pork.
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Bright & fresh aromas and flavors of blueberry and blackberry, with leather and tobacco and cedar spices. Not exactly young profile here, but it’s showing no signs of real age. Tannins are mostly resolved, though, and it’s worth decanting for sediment so it doesn’t get too dusty at the bottom of the bottle. Drink in within two to three years, though it won’t be lost after.
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Impressive. Drinking really well now but seems quite young still. Good acidity and resolved tannins. Mocha and berries. Doesn’t seem as jammy now as some of the earlier notes suggest. Suspect this is in it’s prime.
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Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of blackberries, black raspberries, plum, and dark chocolate. Very big wine that took time to open up and evolve. Good balance with wonderful definition and depth and with a very long finish. This was a WOW wine and was wonderful with the Korean spare ribs with pineapple rice at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. I wasn't expecting the wine to be so good, so the surprise added to the enjoyment.
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Clear, Dark mauve with crimson pink rim with sparse, slow-moving blobs and some sediment. Clean, med+ intensity with aromas of cassis, stewed plums, pencil shavings, cooked anise, cough syrup. Dry, full-bodied, med+ alcohol, med tannins, light acidity, with further tastes of prunes, pomegranate, bitter chocolate, jus de boeuf, and a finish that never quits. Tannins are nicely rounded now - an absolute treat to drink and must be in its prime now.
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Clear, dark mauve with purple rim, one giant slow-moving leg. Clean, full intensity, with aromas of blueberries, cassis, espresso, cocoa, and a slight alcohol wiff. Dry, med+ body, full alcohol, med+ tannins, med- acidity, with further tastes of prunes, pu-er tea, bitter chocolate and earth floor. This wine is a fruit explosion, even after 12 years, with an amazing finish. I have kept this wine with me through several house moves over 8 years, and it is still fantastic yet still very young - the acidity remaining on this wine is phenomenal. Suggest could drink another 10 years without any issues.
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Not sure what to make of this. Potent black berries fruit with coffee and generous mouth feel. But after 12 years, I was expecting more from this benchmark producer.
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A gorgeous wine! Dark garnet, still completely opaque, no browning at the edges. Immediate pronounced aromas of black raspberries, roasted meat, earth, some sweet oak. Full-bodied flavors of black fruits, very viscous, still plenty of fruit, medium acidity, soft tannins, beautifully balanced. Long, jammy aftertaste which keeps going. This reminds me of an excellent Grange, but bigger and more powerful. This wine is not "Old", as Advocate now says. It's fully mature and I think will be excellent for another few years. No need to age it further, though. Ric
Stored for ~10 years at 13C, pulled from cellar to let rest at room temperature for ~24 hours before opening.
Strong bouquet of black fruits upon opening. Color is a perfect deep dense purple. On drinking, this wine is a full bodied spicy extracted ripe fruit forward jammy monster that overwhelms the palate. There are some floral notes, medium tannins, oaky, but there's no getting over the dominant jammy fruit bomb.
We drank the Oracle alongside the 2008 Alion and this Shiraz made the Tempranillo seem almost tasteless by comparison. That's how powerful the fruit tasted.
Overall, this wine was an unbalanced disappointment. Maybe the fruit will settle down with more storage time but given the fruit monster it is today, I have no interest in wasting any more cellar space to find out.
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Assessing this wine objectively, I don't know where I sit on this one.
On one hand, it is a tour de force - opaque inky-black, intense, powerful, concentrated with smooth tannins, predominantly black fruits on the nose and palate, full-bodied and a long finish.
On the other, after drinking a (young) Margaret River cabernet immediately before, it came across as overly alcoholic, clunky, port-like and jammy. Undoubtedly a wine of high quality, but not one I would be happy owning a case of for the following years, but one which I could see making many people very happy indeed...
Consistent with earlier tasting notes ... this was my favorite of the ten wines poured at our 'pour boys' dinner on the deck end of summer wine dinner. Dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.
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18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Consistent with the Oz theme in this '04 tasting, the Oracle is a big hot ripe wine with mostly black fruit, some mocha, and spice. Nice long finish with modest tannins. 89 on day 2.
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Dark ruby. Nose is ripe blackberry wine (like Grandmother made), espresso and woodsy spice. Sweet, full mouth coating black and blue fruit. Finish is still showing some youthful peppery dryness.
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New Year's Eve Celebration 2013 to 2014; 12/31/2013-1/1/2014 (Old Airport Road): Tasted blind. Intense sweet incense and fruity nose. On the palate, lots of Indian spices, cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate. Jam and cassis also. Big wine, but tannins have mellowed. Still alcoholic on the finish though. Unmistakably Aussie Shiraz.
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Dark ruby red remarkably without much sign of age. A bouquet of very bright red fruits and develops some inkiness after time in the glass but masked by heavy alcohol (15%!). Double decanted one hour before serving. Good length but astringent like a worn half the age. Some of that Shiraz spiciness and jammy. A very good wine, but too overpowering. Hard to say when this wine will be à point.
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Opened my last bottle and again the bottle was flawed - sulphur that wouldn't dissipate - slightly corked - hot - unbalanced - even after 4 hours I couldn't drink it. Too bad - I loved this wine when I bought it, but my last two bottles had just not held up.
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Respi-aerate to decanter. Color deep purple loaded with black hues so the appearance is virtually black in the decanter, full+ body with easily noticeable glycerin legs, sediment caking the side of the bottle. Unmistakeable big thick Aussie nose of ripe blackberry liqueur and fig sauce, eucalyptus, tar, and baking spice. Very smooth and coats the palate with black and blue berry fruits, mild chocolate and spice. Low acid, modest tannins, and tapers off rather quickly in the finish, no noticeable heat. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to taste this in its younger days, but it feels like it has lost some verve, so that its quality now rests primarily on its premium fruit, which is mellowing. Held together well over four hours, uber-delicious and easy to drink, but lacking complexity and length for a wine of this caliber and RP97 score. Low-outstanding at this stage.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark and dense color; plastic and some reductive notes on the nose along with vanilla; tart, plummy, graphite, camphor, some acid, really complex; not my style but not a bad example of Aussie Shiraz.
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Deep purple color with a cherry-berry bouquet and flavor, with some jammy notes and a bit of pepper and sweet oak at the end. Balance quite good, but alcohol not completely integrated. Overall, a very pleasant wine.
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Stinky, really stinky on the nose. Very different in the mouth than on the nose....so stinky. Good bottle, slight pruning but still good fruit with medium light tannin
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The color of this opaque, dark orange-purple with an intoxicating nose of sweet vanilla cream, syrupy dark fruit with hints of mocha and oak. The palette is rich, smooth and full bodied with a wide array for flavors cooked fruit, meat, oak, vanilla cream, mocha, menthol, phenol, and minerals. It’s very smooth and integrated despite the high alcohol (15%). This is the kind of wine to be enjoyed in the stillness of the night.
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Decanted 2 hours. Lots of blueberry and dark fruit on the nose. Full bodied with bluberry and cassis fruit. Smooth mouthfeel with notes of chocolate, blck pepper and spice. Noticed a little bit off fall off on the mid palate. The finish was about 20 seconds with smooth tannins and a little spice at the end. Very good but just a little disappointing. Maybe this auction purchase was not in top condition although it did not appear flawed.
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Decanted for a couple of hours. Heavy sediment. Dense, purple colour, rich fruit, well-integrated tannins - all in all a lovely wine. I will drink my remaining bottles soon, soon.
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Double decantered one hour in advance. Heavy sediment. Dark ruby. Strong cassis on the nose. Very jammy and dark fruits on the palate. Very well balanced so the huge alcohol (15%) is not as noticeable. Soft tannins. More enjoyable that the first bottle. Drink now.
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Effusive overripe black fruit/cherry. Dusty with subtle oxidation. Syrupy rich, black fruit, soft subtle spices and broad acidity, with bittersweet tannins.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Still a little closed. Ripe dark fruits and soft tannins. Some chocolate but not spicy as expected. Drink now and maybe another year or two. Don't understand why Parker gives a 97. Perhaps another bottle will be different.
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Hard to believe it's been 4 1/2 years since I last tasted this, and it's changed quite a bit. On the nose, fragrant and forward, with sweet shiraz, brown sugar and a hint of something green/menthol/earthy. On the palate, needs a bit of air to open up. The fruit has softened since release, but is still relatively primary. Tannins are still in play, perhaps more prominent relative to the fruit than they were on release. Overall, I think this is in a bit of an awkward phase, with fruits softening ahead of the tannins. I suspect this could go back on the rise in the next several years. In the meantime, an extended decant would be in order. Rating based on current drinking.
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Huge fruit bomb. Almost black/opaque in color. Lacking in some of the meaty/gamey characteristics I enjoy in syrah. Jammy blackberry fruit compote and licorice flavors. Tastes very young- hard to believe this is 7 years old- how will this evolve...?
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Popped, decanted, and poured. Almost 4 years since I opened my last bottle, and I'm hoping this one was just a bad bottle. Raisins on the nose and palate - not good. Nothing at all like the bottles I've had before. Extremely dark color, harsh tannins, out of balance, hot finish. Softened a little four hours later, but that's all that happened. Reserving a score for the next bottle.
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A big bruiser of a wine, yet pretty quick on its feet. Massively rich, almost thick mouthfeel. Opens up after a few hours, initially lots of black fruit and campfire smoke, though eventually soy, pepper and meats join the party. Pretty well balanced, but make no mistake, an unapologetic fruit bomb, and a good example of one done mostly right. A bit of heat on the finish as the wine warms up.
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Brief notes, as we drank this as part of an Australian Shiraz tasting. Dark fruits on the nose. A little bit of heat, which leads me to believe that this bottle could stand for some more cellaring. Some spice as well. Opened very nicely once in the glass. Recommend decanting for a long time.
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Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): On the nose this has blackberry, dark cherry, bluleberry, and dill. A little baking spice. Not overly complex. On the palate, the berry fruit carried over from the nose and the wine had decent depth and the acid, fruit and tannin were in balance, but I found the finish to be tad hot.
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Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): This nose was distinct with a pronounced herb component...like italian parsley and thyme - very unexpected, but dare I say refreshing. Along with this subtle greenness, it had pure blackberry, cranberry and warm spices. The finish had a refreshing acidic kick to it that added to its balance. I think I was more gung-ho on this wine compared to my compatriots.
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Je n’ai pas perçu le côté bretté dans ce vin, ce fut toutefois mon dernier de la série. Très alcooleux, riche et peu digeste, qui m’a enligné vers un californien. Bien fait mais pas mon style
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Drinking beautifully right now. Bright ruby with lightened edges. Nose of crushed raspberries with some spice. Deep, balanced palate with a lot of fruit but also some leather, spice and some gamey flavors. These take a backseat to the fruit, but it's not as overwhelming as some Aussie shiraz. This (out of magnum) was much better than the last bottle I had. Perhaps just beginning to reach its peak?
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Much improved since my last bottle sometime last year. The color of this big wine is dark purple. The nose is very complex with dark berries and rich vanilla cream dominating with an enticing underlying aroma reminiscent of fresh formosan oolong tea in the background. The flavors of this serious wine is not as "fruit-bomb-ish" and disjointed as it used to be. It is becoming much more refined and well integrated with the various flavor components including fresh and dried fruits, spices, meat, and oak coming together. The finish is long and protracted. I'm glad I still have several more of these to enjoy over the next decade or so.
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Decanted about 30 minutes. Probably the most "complete" Aussie shiraz I've had: wonderful, jammy new world, blueberry, fruit bomb of a nose. More complex on the palate, but just perfect. My second glass was much more integrated with softer tannin and no heat.
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Mouthwatering and delicious. A lot of sediment even though the bottle had been upright for a whilte. We enjoyed this with steak and varied veggies, but it's best match was truffled potatos.
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Some serious juice here. Very rich dark blackberries, blueberries, smokey wood, meat and tar. The palate is long and expansive showing enormous length. Surprisingly the finish is in perfect harmony...though you can sense the heat on the very back end of the tongue. Fantastic wine.
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deep, dark purple. nose of mocha and black fruits, with some cigar box and vanilla. this is not the fruit bomb it was a couple of years ago. it had matured wonderfully. the flavors have integrated, softened, and blossomed. don't get me wrong. this is still BIG, but it's not "in-your-face" BIG. the mouthfeel is soft and velvety, the finish is long. the tannins are balanced and wrap around the sides of the tongue nicely. flavors include ripe cherry, plum, tobacco, coffee and vanilla.
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A monumental wine. Stunning inky, lush purple color. Nose of coffee, plum and vanilla. Expected more tanins, as I only had time to open it 30 minutes before serving. But was approachable out of the bottle. After being opened for ninety minutes, was notably even better. Fruit was more evident. Finish, while pleasant, was not overly impressive. Amazing quality for cost.
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Dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.
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Great nose of juicy black fruit, vanilla and some savory smoky notes. On the palate, huge cooked fruit note that goes a long way, but not a whole lot on the back end can match it except some heat. Very impressive and still young.
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Drank last night alongside the 2003. Amazing opulence and depth/weight of fruit. Impenetrable glass-staining purple/black color followed by classic nose of stewed berries and hints of vanilla and flowers. This just slathered the pallate with an array of full-bodied fruits (it actually stood up to M's shortbread)! Somewhat fuller-bodied than the 2003 with stronger fruit character, if slightly less nuanced. Still a toddler, so perhaps with time...
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Inspired by last night, last bottle enjoyed with Kim with dinner of Jamaican jerk pork tonight. Agree with last night's assessment, an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, smooth, good aftertaste. Decanted for four hours, big bold beautiful fruity nose, very expressive, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this and will definitely be looking for next vintages.
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My WOTN, enjoyed earlier tonight with Kim, good CT friend neighborbill and spouse Debbie as the second of four wines with dinner of salad, bread and boneless ribs with carrots and potatoes prior to and then subsequently during the Superbowl. Just an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, smooth, good aftertaste. Double decanted, big bold beautiful fruity nose, very expressive, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this.
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Dried meats and sweets on the nose. Bright rasberry & blueberry colours, Well integrated with an array of fruit, candy and tannin flavours. Very good Shiraz.
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Opened and allowed to bottle breathe for 4 hours. Exceptional dark fruit; blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry. Coffee and cigar box. Mouth coating tannins. Beautiful on day 2. A brooding young, complex monster that needs time to show its true colors. I'm excited for when it does. It is drinking beautifully now, but I can't wait until its nuances reveal themselves. Putting these away for a few years.
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Agree with previous tasting note - this is just an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Enjoyed last night at home with Kim and good friends neighborbill and wife Debbie after a Thanksgiving wines wine tasting at the Hickory wine shoppe. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, reasonably smooth, long aftertaste. Slightly cool at first and was not decanted but big bold beautiful fruity nose opened up very expressively after time aerating in the glass, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this.
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This wine is just absolutely stellar, it has been over a year since we had the last bottle and we had forgotten exactly how good this wine is. Enjoyed tonight with Kim with pork tagine and palak paneer spinach after a fabulous but much more smooth and complex '89 Dominus. Very big, bold and fruity yet surprisingly smooth, well integrated and complex. Nose of dark stone fruit, vanilla, eucalyptus and oak. Primary flavors included strong blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, mocha, vanilla and eucalyptus with development of black pepper. Highly recommend this wine, it should be decanted and is fabulous. Very reasonable QPR for this price point with many years of cellaring remaining.
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No formal notes taken: Drank over 3 days. Very Delicious and smooth with little or no heat. Best on 1st and 3rd night, the 2nd night it was awkward and disjointed. Will continue to improve for 3-5 more years. 92-95
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Decant for about 6 hours. Great color! Deep and dark red with only a very small lighter rim. The nose is very powerfull and massive! Shockwaves of ripe plums, dark raspberries, dark chocolate, vanilla, licorice, glycerine and spices. On the palate this is shiraz "on steroids". Full bodied², loaded with ripe plums, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, vanilla, raspberries. Jam like mouthfeel, but no sign of fake fruit. This is the style of Shiraz I'm into in. The alcohol(15.5%) is well covered by the fruit and the finish is very long and fruity. Absolutely YUM!
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Nose at first was coffee, licorice, and vanilla. First taste revealed smoky, charcoaled meats. Later, the fruits (especially plum) came out to play. This is an intense wine with great mouth feel. It will be interesting to see how to evolves over the years.
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I was expecting a fuller, bigger shiraz, but this was restrained, possibly in a dumb phase. There is plenty of fruit in the background, along with caramel and vanilla undertones. It may be considerably better with time. Stood up to pepper filet mignon.
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Decanted for about an hour. Nose immediately of plum, raisins, and blackberry preserves. Well balanced with soft tannins and long slight tea-like finish; fairly easy to drink…in a good way. Finish has some heat to it though but does not distract from the overall experience. We like this wine as it is very approachable…but would prefer a little more complexity.
EDIT: After drinking this over a couple of hours we realized that a decant wasn't necessary...pop and pour goodness.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and poured back into bottled. Served over a period of two hours. This wine exhibited a dark purple color. On the nose, aromas of kirsch liquor, blackberries,and blueberries were present with notes of tar, chocolate and toffee. On the palate, flavors of blackberries, plums, black cherries and raspberries were met with notes of mocha and spice. The first glass revealed that this was still a bit closed but it would open up on the last glass of the night (where these notes come from). The first bottle I had of this definitely showed a bit better. HS92
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I wish I had more time to decant this wine. Decanted 30 minutes before taking to a dinner with friends. It took a while to open, but when it did it was worth the wait. Very nice.
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A big wine that is still too young. The nose was closed a bit. Clearly there is or will be lots of smoke and spice, black fruit, oak and leather. Lots of sweet fruit, heavily extracted and jammy, with overtures of bacon fat and oriental spices. Tannins a bit rough and overpowering at this time to me. Give it 2-3 three years and see if the tannins can round off and settle a bit.
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Excellent bottle of wine. Still young - lots of tannins, but smooth - not harsh. Paired very well with New Zealand lamb. Decanted for 2 hours, but next time I would extend to 4 hours.
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Similar notes to last tasting. Enjoyed the contrast to the 2004 Parable, which the Oracle clearly outshines, at least as a standalone wine. However, the Parable is probably a bit easierto marry with food at present.
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Huge. That's the only way to describe this wine. Inky, purple-black in color. When first opened, extremely tight with very little nose. Now, two days later, it's just beginning to open. Luscious big berry flavors and still plenty of tannin. This wine needs years and will still need a lot of time in the decanter even then. This is a wonderful big Aussie Shiraz-- exactly what one would hope for.
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Very dark and opaque with deep purple rim. Black berries nose with a little funk. Spicy. Extremely concentrated black spicy fruitSmooth tannins - definitely there but subdued by all the fruit. Bottom line is a very nice balance. Noticeable oak. Good length. Very nice, although totally unsuitable for food? More focused (less jammy) than the Covenant... Very nice!
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January BYOB Event - January 20th, 2007 (Belo and Margaret Shelton's Home): Decanted for 3 hours with a vigourous shaking prior to throwing into the decanter. This shiraz showed a rich dark purple color throughout. On the nose, huge aromas of blueberries and blackberries jumped out with hints of tar and violets. On the palate, this wine provided rich, powerful flavors of blueberries, blackberries, and black cherries with hints of spice and oak on the finish. Great potential, but a step below the 2003. HS93
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Had to kill a bottle of this just to see what the fuss was about. A perfectly good wine right out of the bottle, with a rich aromatic nose, and concentrated spicy fruit balanced over a smooth tannin and oak structure. A few slightly rough but very tolerable edges at this point in its youth, but very compelling nevertheless. Unlike the earlier Oliverhill, this has no gamey or rustic character; it is pure, focused, dense elegance. Willpower will be required to keep "hands off" for a couple of years while this evolves and softens further. It has the potential to be a profound wine at peak maturity.
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Is this better than the flock of other Australian Shiraz at RP 95 points (OliverHill, Mitolo GAM, Kilikanoon Covenant, Elderton Command) and therefore in the company of Amon-Ra and Torbreck Run Rig? Well it's certainly got the stuffing to rate higher than the 95 crowd, incredibly extracted and rich but drinkable after a long decant. I personally like the 2002 Covenant better than this (now) but there are more tannins and strength here that give it more cellar potential. I think RP tends to rate things 95+ based on their ability to age and I would agree in this case. Followed this bottle up with the 2004 GAM and although the differences may be a hair's width, the Oracle is more powerful, yet with less heat. This is a step above the rest, but only time will tell if it's going to age like the big boys. 5+13+18+10=96
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Decanted 4 hr’s. Rich nose of blueberry, blackberry and menthol carry through on the palate along with tar and a touch of espresso. The flavors are deep, extracted and almost oily with tremendous tongue coating textures and significant tannins that are plush and smooth. A touch of spice and hints of pepper increasing towards the full and lengthy finish. This is fairly extracted for the ’04 vintage.
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4/20/2024 - hkbob Likes this wine: 95 Points
This drank so much better than a much more evolved bottle consumed a couple of months ago. Deep purple in appearance. Ripe, sweet blackberry fruit with mocha and some iodine notes. Full-bodied mouthful of velvety rich dark fruit flows seamlessly across the palate with some spice and a pronounced dark cherry note. Well-balanced for such a big wine. A superb bottle and very enjoyable.
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2/24/2024 - hkbob wrote: 91 Points
It's been a few years since I've had a bottle of this. This has now tipped over the edge from the exuberance it had in its youth to a slightly past its best mature fruit bomb. Still an impenetrable dark colour but with a slight rusty sheen, a mix of sweet blackberry with some prominent pruney notes and its 15.5% abv very much in evidence. Almost too rich. Lots of mature fruit on the palate and with considerable length, but just lacking freshness. An hour decant improved the experience.
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7/19/2023 - pmik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vinnørd. Dense and dark. Whif of acetone on the nose. Very powerful fruit bomb, but still nicely balanced and great length. Not my favorite style, but well made and winner of the 6 bottle Syrah tasting!
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12/23/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very very good aged Barossa Shiraz. All components seamlessly integrated into a very enjoyable vino.
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10/30/2022 - Bil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich dark fruits, vanilla, and spice. Great full mouth feel. Still drinking well
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6/2/2022 - Peech Likes this wine: 95 Points
decanted and served 40 minutes after opening. There was lots of sweet fruit while decanting but the first sip showed more smoke and savory black olive, and the acidity was on the high side with a sharp, alcoholic nose. Thirty minutes later this was so fragrant with lovely spices. A little sweet on the palate now. Drinking beautifully after an hour. Alcohol was still definitely on the high side, but the nose was so sweet and ripe it was like honey.
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1/22/2022 - J Pas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very well still but at end of prime. Beautiful sgiraz
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9/26/2021 - df1988 Likes this wine:
Very little experience with Shiraz so I won’t score it, but it was very nice indeed. Blueberry and a bit of vanilla? Tannins fully integrated it was ready to go straight out of the bottle but didn’t fade even after several hours in the decanter. Excellent wine and it only cost me £25!
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4/23/2021 - sgsh100 wrote: 94 Points
Black in the glass with alcohol legs. Butter on the nose, camphor and blackfruit. Cassis, liquorice, raisins, coffee, some brine and mouth filling acid, long palate. At its peak.
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2/28/2021 - rmcnees wrote: 92 Points
Dense inky purple colored, rich, full bodied and concentrated yet well balanced black and blue berry fruits with floral, cinnamon and clove spices, cassis, licorice and espresso turning to firm but approachable tannins on a long finish.
Still drinking nicely but showing its age a bit at sixteen years, the fruits are taking on a burnt raisin layer indicating its time to drink as this is past its prime and will continue to decline from here forward.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/02/kilikanoon-oracle-shiraz-2004.html
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1/5/2021 - RobertLA Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking perfectly now. Beautiful Fruit. Balanced to integrated tannins
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7/7/2020 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 96 Points
An amazing Shiraz like no other I have had. Extremely balanced and sensual. The finish lasted a few minutes and made you crave for more.
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6/28/2020 - Winokdub wrote: 94 Points
Really amazing wine. Popped n poured. Great nose. Full palette. Long finish
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12/27/2019 - sjw_11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quintessential Aussie wine. Lovey Clare valley fruit. No formal notes, drunk Xmas day. Terrific.
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10/27/2019 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Opened this at Yummy Palace to celebrate two birthdays with my close friends. We had the signature pig stomach soup, crab congee, deep fried fish skin, roast pork cube, silver bait fish, roasted duck, iced sweet and sour pork, palace beancurd, scallops with green dragon vegetables, and deep fried bee hoon.
Brick red in colour with nose of roasted coffee, dark berries, black chocolate, aged leather and fresh toast. At fifteen years of age, this wine has matured gracefully and i believe it can age for another 5 more years. Silky and smooth with the occasion kink, this wine is a shining example of a well made wine given ample time to develop beautifully. Went well with the roasted duck and sweet and sour pork.
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10/4/2019 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nicely berrilishess on the nose with a ripe, raspberry, pepper and heat palate. Drink now.
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9/14/2018 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
Bright & fresh aromas and flavors of blueberry and blackberry, with leather and tobacco and cedar spices. Not exactly young profile here, but it’s showing no signs of real age. Tannins are mostly resolved, though, and it’s worth decanting for sediment so it doesn’t get too dusty at the bottom of the bottle. Drink in within two to three years, though it won’t be lost after.
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8/26/2018 - GraemeBell wrote: 93 Points
Impressive. Drinking really well now but seems quite young still. Good acidity and resolved tannins. Mocha and berries. Doesn’t seem as jammy now as some of the earlier notes suggest. Suspect this is in it’s prime.
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3/16/2018 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of blackberries, black raspberries, plum, and dark chocolate. Very big wine that took time to open up and evolve. Good balance with wonderful definition and depth and with a very long finish. This was a WOW wine and was wonderful with the Korean spare ribs with pineapple rice at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. I wasn't expecting the wine to be so good, so the surprise added to the enjoyment.
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1/12/2018 - Rowchan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Clear, Dark mauve with crimson pink rim with sparse, slow-moving blobs and some sediment.
Clean, med+ intensity with aromas of cassis, stewed plums, pencil shavings, cooked anise, cough syrup.
Dry, full-bodied, med+ alcohol, med tannins, light acidity, with further tastes of prunes, pomegranate, bitter chocolate, jus de boeuf, and a finish that never quits. Tannins are nicely rounded now - an absolute treat to drink and must be in its prime now.
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9/23/2017 - Simonb72 Likes this wine:
Wow
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9/10/2016 - Rowchan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear, dark mauve with purple rim, one giant slow-moving leg.
Clean, full intensity, with aromas of blueberries, cassis, espresso, cocoa, and a slight alcohol wiff.
Dry, med+ body, full alcohol, med+ tannins, med- acidity, with further tastes of prunes, pu-er tea, bitter chocolate and earth floor. This wine is a fruit explosion, even after 12 years, with an amazing finish. I have kept this wine with me through several house moves over 8 years, and it is still fantastic yet still very young - the acidity remaining on this wine is phenomenal. Suggest could drink another 10 years without any issues.
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5/23/2016 - acheng wrote:
Not sure what to make of this. Potent black berries fruit with coffee and generous mouth feel. But after 12 years, I was expecting more from this benchmark producer.
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3/14/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 97 Points
A gorgeous wine! Dark garnet, still completely opaque, no browning at the edges. Immediate pronounced aromas of black raspberries, roasted meat, earth, some sweet oak. Full-bodied flavors of black fruits, very viscous, still plenty of fruit, medium acidity, soft tannins, beautifully balanced. Long, jammy aftertaste which keeps going. This reminds me of an excellent Grange, but bigger and more powerful. This wine is not "Old", as Advocate now says. It's fully mature and I think will be excellent for another few years. No need to age it further, though.
Ric
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12/4/2015 - Stevey wrote: 86 Points
Stored for ~10 years at 13C, pulled from cellar to let rest at room temperature for ~24 hours before opening.
Strong bouquet of black fruits upon opening. Color is a perfect deep dense purple. On drinking, this wine is a full bodied spicy extracted ripe fruit forward jammy monster that overwhelms the palate. There are some floral notes, medium tannins, oaky, but there's no getting over the dominant jammy fruit bomb.
We drank the Oracle alongside the 2008 Alion and this Shiraz made the Tempranillo seem almost tasteless by comparison. That's how powerful the fruit tasted.
Overall, this wine was an unbalanced disappointment. Maybe the fruit will settle down with more storage time but given the fruit monster it is today, I have no interest in wasting any more cellar space to find out.
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11/14/2015 - Cooky474 wrote:
Assessing this wine objectively, I don't know where I sit on this one.
On one hand, it is a tour de force - opaque inky-black, intense, powerful, concentrated with smooth tannins, predominantly black fruits on the nose and palate, full-bodied and a long finish.
On the other, after drinking a (young) Margaret River cabernet immediately before, it came across as overly alcoholic, clunky, port-like and jammy. Undoubtedly a wine of high quality, but not one I would be happy owning a case of for the following years, but one which I could see making many people very happy indeed...
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9/20/2015 - rmcnees wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with earlier tasting notes ... this was my favorite of the ten wines poured at our 'pour boys' dinner on the deck end of summer wine dinner. Dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.
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6/9/2015 - andolini wrote: 84 Points
Burnt rubber, oak, heat. Not enjoyable.
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5/28/2015 - ctomalley wrote:
Bday gift $60ish?
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4/14/2015 - shebbar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black fruit, a touch of spice at the end, a beautiful long finish. Has matured well.
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1/2/2015 - dtirsell Likes this wine: 92 Points
still bright red color, slightly unfiltered. not overly complex but a delicious, fruity shiraz.
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12/7/2014 - miadelt wrote: 89 Points
Good wine; but too much ripe fruit for my taste.
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11/2/2014 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Consistent with the Oz theme in this '04 tasting, the Oracle is a big hot ripe wine with mostly black fruit, some mocha, and spice. Nice long finish with modest tannins. 89 on day 2.
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9/1/2014 - theonlylittledog wrote: 92 Points
Very big and rich. Strong oak flavour drying it out a little. Not sure how this will develop. Good but not great
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6/28/2014 - Son888 wrote: 93 Points
Very well made from Australia 93Pts
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4/16/2014 - wfdeacon wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Nose is ripe blackberry wine (like Grandmother made), espresso and woodsy spice. Sweet, full mouth coating black and blue fruit. Finish is still showing some youthful peppery dryness.
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12/31/2013 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 92 Points
New Year's Eve Celebration 2013 to 2014; 12/31/2013-1/1/2014 (Old Airport Road): Tasted blind. Intense sweet incense and fruity nose. On the palate, lots of Indian spices, cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate. Jam and cassis also. Big wine, but tannins have mellowed. Still alcoholic on the finish though. Unmistakably Aussie Shiraz.
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12/27/2013 - Winestein wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby red remarkably without much sign of age. A bouquet of very bright red fruits and develops some inkiness after time in the glass but masked by heavy alcohol (15%!). Double decanted one hour before serving. Good length but astringent like a worn half the age. Some of that Shiraz spiciness and jammy. A very good wine, but too overpowering. Hard to say when this wine will be à point.
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12/22/2013 - jfurey21 wrote: 95 Points
WOTN! Awesome! Benchmark Australian shiraz
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12/17/2013 - joefel wrote: flawed
Opened my last bottle and again the bottle was flawed - sulphur that wouldn't dissipate - slightly corked - hot - unbalanced - even after 4 hours I couldn't drink it. Too bad - I loved this wine when I bought it, but my last two bottles had just not held up.
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10/19/2013 - Vinacull wrote: 90 Points
Respi-aerate to decanter. Color deep purple loaded with black hues so the appearance is virtually black in the decanter, full+ body with easily noticeable glycerin legs, sediment caking the side of the bottle. Unmistakeable big thick Aussie nose of ripe blackberry liqueur and fig sauce, eucalyptus, tar, and baking spice. Very smooth and coats the palate with black and blue berry fruits, mild chocolate and spice. Low acid, modest tannins, and tapers off rather quickly in the finish, no noticeable heat. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to taste this in its younger days, but it feels like it has lost some verve, so that its quality now rests primarily on its premium fruit, which is mellowing. Held together well over four hours, uber-delicious and easy to drink, but lacking complexity and length for a wine of this caliber and RP97 score. Low-outstanding at this stage.
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8/2/2013 - Rezy13 wrote: 89 Points
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Dark and dense color; plastic and some reductive notes on the nose along with vanilla; tart, plummy, graphite, camphor, some acid, really complex; not my style but not a bad example of Aussie Shiraz.
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6/14/2013 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep purple color with a cherry-berry bouquet and flavor, with some jammy notes and a bit of pepper and sweet oak at the end. Balance quite good, but alcohol not completely integrated. Overall, a very pleasant wine.
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5/8/2013 - BinVA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Stinky, really stinky on the nose. Very different in the mouth than on the nose....so stinky. Good bottle, slight pruning but still good fruit with medium light tannin
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3/29/2013 - arthrovine wrote:
This bottle was porty, raisiny, hot. Fruit, alcohol, tannins were a sloppy mess. Not very pleasant.
The next day, it drastically improved. Never did reach my previous experience. Not sure what to make of this wine.
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12/13/2012 - Praxis wrote: 97 Points
The color of this opaque, dark orange-purple with an intoxicating nose of sweet vanilla cream, syrupy dark fruit with hints of mocha and oak. The palette is rich, smooth and full bodied with a wide array for flavors cooked fruit, meat, oak, vanilla cream, mocha, menthol, phenol, and minerals. It’s very smooth and integrated despite the high alcohol (15%). This is the kind of wine to be enjoyed in the stillness of the night.
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10/7/2012 - Yamadori wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Lots of blueberry and dark fruit on the nose. Full bodied with bluberry and cassis fruit. Smooth mouthfeel with notes of chocolate, blck pepper and spice. Noticed a little bit off fall off on the mid palate. The finish was about 20 seconds with smooth tannins and a little spice at the end. Very good but just a little disappointing. Maybe this auction purchase was not in top condition although it did not appear flawed.
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6/24/2012 - peterk wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours. Heavy sediment. Dense, purple colour, rich fruit, well-integrated tannins - all in all a lovely wine. I will drink my remaining bottles soon, soon.
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4/8/2012 - Winestein wrote: 92 Points
Double decantered one hour in advance. Heavy sediment. Dark ruby. Strong cassis on the nose. Very jammy and dark fruits on the palate. Very well balanced so the huge alcohol (15%) is not as noticeable. Soft tannins. More enjoyable that the first bottle. Drink now.
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1/13/2012 - weingutwilhelm wrote: 89 Points
Effusive overripe black fruit/cherry. Dusty with subtle oxidation. Syrupy rich, black fruit, soft subtle spices and broad acidity, with bittersweet tannins.
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12/31/2011 - Winestein wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Still a little closed. Ripe dark fruits and soft tannins. Some chocolate but not spicy as expected. Drink now and maybe another year or two. Don't understand why Parker gives a 97. Perhaps another bottle will be different.
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12/14/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Hard to believe it's been 4 1/2 years since I last tasted this, and it's changed quite a bit. On the nose, fragrant and forward, with sweet shiraz, brown sugar and a hint of something green/menthol/earthy. On the palate, needs a bit of air to open up. The fruit has softened since release, but is still relatively primary. Tannins are still in play, perhaps more prominent relative to the fruit than they were on release. Overall, I think this is in a bit of an awkward phase, with fruits softening ahead of the tannins. I suspect this could go back on the rise in the next several years. In the meantime, an extended decant would be in order. Rating based on current drinking.
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9/23/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Huge fruit bomb. Almost black/opaque in color. Lacking in some of the meaty/gamey characteristics I enjoy in syrah. Jammy blackberry fruit compote and licorice flavors. Tastes very young- hard to believe this is 7 years old- how will this evolve...?
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9/23/2011 - Praxis wrote: 96 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Still drinking great!
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7/3/2011 - joefel wrote: flawed
Popped, decanted, and poured. Almost 4 years since I opened my last bottle, and I'm hoping this one was just a bad bottle. Raisins on the nose and palate - not good. Nothing at all like the bottles I've had before. Extremely dark color, harsh tannins, out of balance, hot finish. Softened a little four hours later, but that's all that happened. Reserving a score for the next bottle.
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5/28/2011 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
A big bruiser of a wine, yet pretty quick on its feet. Massively rich, almost thick mouthfeel. Opens up after a few hours, initially lots of black fruit and campfire smoke, though eventually soy, pepper and meats join the party. Pretty well balanced, but make no mistake, an unapologetic fruit bomb, and a good example of one done mostly right. A bit of heat on the finish as the wine warms up.
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3/16/2011 - rrschrumjr wrote: 90 Points
Brief notes, as we drank this as part of an Australian Shiraz tasting. Dark fruits on the nose. A little bit of heat, which leads me to believe that this bottle could stand for some more cellaring. Some spice as well. Opened very nicely once in the glass. Recommend decanting for a long time.
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3/16/2011 - gblacave wrote: 82 Points
Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): On the nose this has blackberry, dark cherry, bluleberry, and dill. A little baking spice. Not overly complex. On the palate, the berry fruit carried over from the nose and the wine had decent depth and the acid, fruit and tannin were in balance, but I found the finish to be tad hot.
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3/16/2011 - tooch wrote: 88 Points
Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): This nose was distinct with a pronounced herb component...like italian parsley and thyme - very unexpected, but dare I say refreshing. Along with this subtle greenness, it had pure blackberry, cranberry and warm spices. The finish had a refreshing acidic kick to it that added to its balance. I think I was more gung-ho on this wine compared to my compatriots.
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12/31/2010 - Baggio wrote: 92 Points
Kind of dense and one dimensional, like fruit compote. It'll probably be amazing in...what?...10 years?
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12/10/2010 - KurtK wrote: 93 Points
Nice wine to follow the Sea Smoke Pinot. Dark purple, inky. Leather, Spice, Plumbs. A long finish (+20 seconds)
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11/2/2010 - ludwigbpm wrote: 87 Points
Je n’ai pas perçu le côté bretté dans ce vin, ce fut toutefois mon dernier de la série. Très alcooleux, riche et peu digeste, qui m’a enligné vers un californien. Bien fait mais pas mon style
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9/4/2010 - nvandyk wrote: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Bright ruby with lightened edges. Nose of crushed raspberries with some spice. Deep, balanced palate with a lot of fruit but also some leather, spice and some gamey flavors. These take a backseat to the fruit, but it's not as overwhelming as some Aussie shiraz. This (out of magnum) was much better than the last bottle I had. Perhaps just beginning to reach its peak?
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7/29/2010 - PaulH wrote: 93 Points
Really excellent and well-balanced.
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5/6/2010 - dtirsell wrote: 95 Points
A smooth, juicy fruit bomb! Decanted for 1 hr, did not taste any of the aforementioned heat, long, cherry and pepper finish.
glad I have one more!
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2/21/2010 - tonsta wrote: 93 Points
great wine but way too young. a little heat on the finish which should subside in time...
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1/17/2010 - arthrovine wrote: 96 Points
Couldn't resist! Echo everything below. An unbelievable, sophisticated wine.
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12/24/2009 - Praxis wrote: 97 Points
Much improved since my last bottle sometime last year. The color of this big wine is dark purple. The nose is very complex with dark berries and rich vanilla cream dominating with an enticing underlying aroma reminiscent of fresh formosan oolong tea in the background. The flavors of this serious wine is not as "fruit-bomb-ish" and disjointed as it used to be. It is becoming much more refined and well integrated with the various flavor components including fresh and dried fruits, spices, meat, and oak coming together. The finish is long and protracted. I'm glad I still have several more of these to enjoy over the next decade or so.
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11/27/2009 - ecnemergut wrote: 94 Points
Decanted about 30 minutes. Probably the most "complete" Aussie shiraz I've had: wonderful, jammy new world, blueberry, fruit bomb of a nose. More complex on the palate, but just perfect. My second glass was much more integrated with softer tannin and no heat.
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11/20/2009 - WetRock wrote: flawed
Back to School Again (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Corked!
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10/13/2009 - ldorf wrote: 92 Points
Mouthwatering and delicious. A lot of sediment even though the bottle had been upright for a whilte. We enjoyed this with steak and varied veggies, but it's best match was truffled potatos.
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8/15/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Some serious juice here.
Very rich dark blackberries, blueberries, smokey wood, meat and tar.
The palate is long and expansive showing enormous length.
Surprisingly the finish is in perfect harmony...though you can sense the heat on the very back end of the tongue.
Fantastic wine.
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7/4/2009 - ihavezinned wrote: 95 Points
deep, dark purple. nose of mocha and black fruits, with some cigar box and vanilla. this is not the fruit bomb it was a couple of years ago. it had matured wonderfully. the flavors have integrated, softened, and blossomed. don't get me wrong. this is still BIG, but it's not "in-your-face" BIG. the mouthfeel is soft and velvety, the finish is long. the tannins are balanced and wrap around the sides of the tongue nicely. flavors include ripe cherry, plum, tobacco, coffee and vanilla.
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6/1/2009 - mwhitmoe wrote: 95 Points
A monumental wine. Stunning inky, lush purple color. Nose of coffee, plum and vanilla. Expected more tanins, as I only had time to open it 30 minutes before serving. But was approachable out of the bottle. After being opened for ninety minutes, was notably even better. Fruit was more evident. Finish, while pleasant, was not overly impressive. Amazing quality for cost.
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3/21/2009 - rmcnees wrote: 94 Points
Dark inky purple, intense, rich, thick, full bodied, forward fruit of blueberry, ripe plum and blackberry, violet floral, and a hint of anise on the finish.
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3/11/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Mocha, mint chip and blackberries define the nose. Big bright fruit on the palate though with the typical Aussie tart finish. Good concentration.
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2/17/2009 - joefouche wrote: 92 Points
Great nose of juicy black fruit, vanilla and some savory smoky notes. On the palate, huge cooked fruit note that goes a long way, but not a whole lot on the back end can match it except some heat. Very impressive and still young.
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2/8/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 95 Points
Drank last night alongside the 2003. Amazing opulence and depth/weight of fruit. Impenetrable glass-staining purple/black color followed by classic nose of stewed berries and hints of vanilla and flowers. This just slathered the pallate with an array of full-bodied fruits (it actually stood up to M's shortbread)! Somewhat fuller-bodied than the 2003 with stronger fruit character, if slightly less nuanced. Still a toddler, so perhaps with time...
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2/2/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
Inspired by last night, last bottle enjoyed with Kim with dinner of Jamaican jerk pork tonight. Agree with last night's assessment, an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, smooth, good aftertaste. Decanted for four hours, big bold beautiful fruity nose, very expressive, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this and will definitely be looking for next vintages.
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2/1/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
My WOTN, enjoyed earlier tonight with Kim, good CT friend neighborbill and spouse Debbie as the second of four wines with dinner of salad, bread and boneless ribs with carrots and potatoes prior to and then subsequently during the Superbowl. Just an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, smooth, good aftertaste. Double decanted, big bold beautiful fruity nose, very expressive, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this.
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1/6/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 94 Points
Dried meats and sweets on the nose. Bright rasberry & blueberry colours, Well integrated with an array of fruit, candy and tannin flavours. Very good Shiraz.
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1/1/2009 - arthrovine wrote: 94 Points
Opened and allowed to bottle breathe for 4 hours. Exceptional dark fruit; blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry. Coffee and cigar box. Mouth coating tannins. Beautiful on day 2. A brooding young, complex monster that needs time to show its true colors. I'm excited for when it does. It is drinking beautifully now, but I can't wait until its nuances reveal themselves. Putting these away for a few years.
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11/26/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
Agree with previous tasting note - this is just an absolutely stellar shiraz and at this price point it is a reasonable QPR. Enjoyed last night at home with Kim and good friends neighborbill and wife Debbie after a Thanksgiving wines wine tasting at the Hickory wine shoppe. Very good and satisfying mouth feel, reasonably smooth, long aftertaste. Slightly cool at first and was not decanted but big bold beautiful fruity nose opened up very expressively after time aerating in the glass, primarily dark red cherry, ripe plum, leather and vanilla with less prominent eucalyptus on this bottle. Very bold wine, primary flavors included blackberry, plum, cassis, mocha and tar. Highly recommend this.
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11/14/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
This wine is just absolutely stellar, it has been over a year since we had the last bottle and we had forgotten exactly how good this wine is. Enjoyed tonight with Kim with pork tagine and palak paneer spinach after a fabulous but much more smooth and complex '89 Dominus. Very big, bold and fruity yet surprisingly smooth, well integrated and complex. Nose of dark stone fruit, vanilla, eucalyptus and oak. Primary flavors included strong blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, mocha, vanilla and eucalyptus with development of black pepper. Highly recommend this wine, it should be decanted and is fabulous. Very reasonable QPR for this price point with many years of cellaring remaining.
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10/12/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 92 Points
Decaned for 30 minutes. Ingredibly fragrant and deftly balanced with velvety tannins. The alcohol doesn't peek out.
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9/25/2008 - junglejuice wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes taken: Drank over 3 days. Very Delicious and smooth with little or no heat. Best on 1st and 3rd night, the 2nd night it was awkward and disjointed. Will continue to improve for 3-5 more years. 92-95
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9/20/2008 - good old ludwig van wrote: 92 Points
Drank w/ Jeff. Excellent!
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6/8/2008 - Medo wrote: 95 Points
Decant for about 6 hours. Great color! Deep and dark red with only a very small lighter rim. The nose is very powerfull and massive! Shockwaves of ripe plums, dark raspberries, dark chocolate, vanilla, licorice, glycerine and spices. On the palate this is shiraz "on steroids". Full bodied², loaded with ripe plums, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, vanilla, raspberries. Jam like mouthfeel, but no sign of fake fruit. This is the style of Shiraz I'm into in. The alcohol(15.5%) is well covered by the fruit and the finish is very long and fruity. Absolutely YUM!
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5/28/2008 - good old ludwig van wrote: 92 Points
Didn't decant.
Nose at first was coffee, licorice, and vanilla. First taste revealed smoky, charcoaled meats. Later, the fruits (especially plum) came out to play. This is an intense wine with great mouth feel. It will be interesting to see how to evolves over the years.
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5/10/2008 - Vino Hedonist wrote: 93 Points
Spicy Quick. Wonderful berries followed by spices with a smooth finish. Should linger longer with time.
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3/23/2008 - pizzler wrote: 88 Points
I was expecting a fuller, bigger shiraz, but this was restrained, possibly in a dumb phase. There is plenty of fruit in the background, along with caramel and vanilla undertones. It may be considerably better with time. Stood up to pepper filet mignon.
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3/18/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Nose immediately of plum, raisins, and blackberry preserves. Well balanced with soft tannins and long slight tea-like finish; fairly easy to drink…in a good way. Finish has some heat to it though but does not distract from the overall experience. We like this wine as it is very approachable…but would prefer a little more complexity.
EDIT: After drinking this over a couple of hours we realized that a decant wasn't necessary...pop and pour goodness.
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3/14/2008 - markcvino wrote: 95 Points
Excellent Aussie Shiraz. Not over the top.
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2/2/2008 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and poured back into bottled. Served over a period of two hours. This wine exhibited a dark purple color. On the nose, aromas of kirsch liquor, blackberries,and blueberries were present with notes of tar, chocolate and toffee. On the palate, flavors of blackberries, plums, black cherries and raspberries were met with notes of mocha and spice. The first glass revealed that this was still a bit closed but it would open up on the last glass of the night (where these notes come from). The first bottle I had of this definitely showed a bit better. HS92
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2/2/2008 - Kale wrote: 92 Points
I wish I had more time to decant this wine. Decanted 30 minutes before taking to a dinner with friends. It took a while to open, but when it did it was worth the wait. Very nice.
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1/13/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 92 Points
A big wine that is still too young. The nose was closed a bit. Clearly there is or will be lots of smoke and spice, black fruit, oak and leather. Lots of sweet fruit, heavily extracted and jammy, with overtures of bacon fat and oriental spices. Tannins a bit rough and overpowering at this time to me. Give it 2-3 three years and see if the tannins can round off and settle a bit.
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11/23/2007 - EMichels wrote: 88 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Ripe nose; Ripe palatte; Could use some spice
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11/4/2007 - cmr wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, big, mouth coating richness. A nice slight funk early on that quickly blew off though.
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10/30/2007 - guile wrote:
Powerful and brooding, not as chewy as the Alban Vineyard.
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9/9/2007 - joefel wrote: 95 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Still young - lots of tannins, but smooth - not harsh. Paired very well with New Zealand lamb. Decanted for 2 hours, but next time I would extend to 4 hours.
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9/1/2007 - TKendrickIV wrote: 93 Points
Very nice but hard to find wine -drink now
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5/28/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 96 Points
Similar notes to last tasting. Enjoyed the contrast to the 2004 Parable, which the Oracle clearly outshines, at least as a standalone wine. However, the Parable is probably a bit easierto marry with food at present.
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2/26/2007 - asiabear wrote: 93 Points
Huge. That's the only way to describe this wine. Inky, purple-black in color. When first opened, extremely tight with very little nose. Now, two days later, it's just beginning to open. Luscious big berry flavors and still plenty of tannin. This wine needs years and will still need a lot of time in the decanter even then. This is a wonderful big Aussie Shiraz-- exactly what one would hope for.
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2/3/2007 - pmik wrote: 94 Points
Very dark and opaque with deep purple rim. Black berries nose with a little funk. Spicy. Extremely concentrated black spicy fruitSmooth tannins - definitely there but subdued by all the fruit. Bottom line is a very nice balance. Noticeable oak. Good length. Very nice, although totally unsuitable for food? More focused (less jammy) than the Covenant... Very nice!
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1/20/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 93 Points
January BYOB Event - January 20th, 2007 (Belo and Margaret Shelton's Home): Decanted for 3 hours with a vigourous shaking prior to throwing into the decanter. This shiraz showed a rich dark purple color throughout. On the nose, huge aromas of blueberries and blackberries jumped out with hints of tar and violets. On the palate, this wine provided rich, powerful flavors of blueberries, blackberries, and black cherries with hints of spice and oak on the finish. Great potential, but a step below the 2003. HS93
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1/18/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
Kilikanoon/Rolf Binder Tasting (Wine Gallery, Corona Del Mar, CA): Nose of grilled plum, blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso, and meat. In the mouth, juicy black and blue fruits, flowers, dried cranberries, and chocolate. Extremely well balanced.
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1/10/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Had to kill a bottle of this just to see what the fuss was about. A perfectly good wine right out of the bottle, with a rich aromatic nose, and concentrated spicy fruit balanced over a smooth tannin and oak structure. A few slightly rough but very tolerable edges at this point in its youth, but very compelling nevertheless. Unlike the earlier Oliverhill, this has no gamey or rustic character; it is pure, focused, dense elegance. Willpower will be required to keep "hands off" for a couple of years while this evolves and softens further. It has the potential to be a profound wine at peak maturity.
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1/2/2007 - ths wrote: 96 Points
Is this better than the flock of other Australian Shiraz at RP 95 points (OliverHill, Mitolo GAM, Kilikanoon Covenant, Elderton Command) and therefore in the company of Amon-Ra and Torbreck Run Rig? Well it's certainly got the stuffing to rate higher than the 95 crowd, incredibly extracted and rich but drinkable after a long decant. I personally like the 2002 Covenant better than this (now) but there are more tannins and strength here that give it more cellar potential. I think RP tends to rate things 95+ based on their ability to age and I would agree in this case. Followed this bottle up with the 2004 GAM and although the differences may be a hair's width, the Oracle is more powerful, yet with less heat. This is a step above the rest, but only time will tell if it's going to age like the big boys. 5+13+18+10=96
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10/20/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 4 hr’s. Rich nose of blueberry, blackberry and menthol carry through on the palate along with tar and a touch of espresso. The flavors are deep, extracted and almost oily with tremendous tongue coating textures and significant tannins that are plush and smooth. A touch of spice and hints of pepper increasing towards the full and lengthy finish. This is fairly extracted for the ’04 vintage.
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10/5/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Uncorked USA/OZ Tasting (Uncorked, London): Dense inky - black. Unusual wine, satanic fruit, overwhelming but fresh, quite one dimensional and lacking 'savoryness'
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10/4/2006 - Paul D wrote:
Uncorked California and Australia Tasting (Uncorked, London EC2): Deep, dark, chocolatey and spicy. Intense and brooding. Quite interesting, slightly let down by a bit of heat on the finish. Good, but not as drinkable as the Covenant.
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