Last bottle from a batch bought close to release. Splash decant, drank over an hour.
Medium garnet color, clear/separated at the rim. Nose of red bramble fruits and cedar. Palate of dusted pomegranate, cranberry, cigar box, underbrush. Tannins resolved, gracefully aged and elegant texture. Medium weight and finish.
As OZ Shiraz goes, this is unique in that it was made with a lighter hand but retains the signature flavors expected. It wont improve, nice to drink now. Probably heads to a tertiary phase in a few years. Nice to try this over the years...interesting wine
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Classic cold climate Shiraz. Red and black fruited with bretty notes. The tannins have completely receded in the wine. Very good, but will not improve with more time. Drink.
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Doran's. Here's the anti-Mollydooker, a graceful and structured syrah that can (and did) pass for a Northern Rhone in a blind tasting. Peppery, lovely raspberry fruit. Reads a bit younger than it actually is, which bodes well for further cellaring. The 'drink by' projection below is way off, this will easily make it 2025 and beyond.
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Deep garnet core. Loads of terpenes (black pepper, cannabis, oregano) and plum on the nose - not a hint of American oak. Blind, I would have guessed something really good (and much more expensive!) from the Northern Rhone. Medium-bodied, balanced acidity and resolved tannins. The palate mirrors the nose beautifully, with terpenes front and center, swaddled in dramatic red and black fruit. Gains depth and complexity after a few hours in the decanter. Drinking brilliantly.
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Dark red and black fruit, with a touch of dill and eucalyptus. There's a nice savoriness to the wine with notes of saddle leather and faint black pepper on the finish. The fruit is just a touch sweet, indicating its new world origin, but the wine making is very old school. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this wine; it is nothing like the Aussie Shiraz I had in my youth...and that's a good thing.
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Lovely bottle of aged shiraz, dramatically better than previous bottle had several years ago. This was in a great place, with tannins mostly resolved and still vibrant mellow black fruits. Many secondary flavors, including some (good) leather, cinnamon & spice, a healthy savory/meaty component. Drank over three nights, profile was consistent. Drink now if you've got 'em, methinks we're at peak.
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Very brief notes from TTTG (blind) (Vernon, CT): Very pretty nose (except for a bit of band aid). Puzzling wine that I could not place, but my mind never went to Syrah and never went to New World. Very nice structure and balance of fruit and earth. I liked this.
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Third Thursday tasting group (Vernon, CT): Another great bottle. Totally classic, old school Aussie Shiraz, with a core of elegant red and dark fruited flavours framed by more savoury earthy, tarry, smoky, and faint herbal accents. There's still a fair bit of grainy tannin here and bright acidity beneath, and the balance is fantastic.
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TTTG (Salil's): Subtle nose shows sweet cherry, roses, tar and an initial rubber toy/ band-aid note that blew off. Very well-balanced on the palate; showing rich, youthful fruit that possessed good restraint and trade-off with its earthy components. Fine tannins. This really reminded me of a modern young Barolo. Very Good to Excellent - Drink or Hold
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Very good, though not quite on the level of the last bottle I had in terms of complexity. Plenty of ripe fruit tinged with herbs and eucalyptus, though not showing the same savoury depth the other one did.
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Grand Sich and the Eiswein Show: as Salil said - "Old Skool" stuff. Powerful nose of ripe black fruit and smoke, with just a hint of leather coming in. the palate is much "lighter" than the nose suggests - with black fruit being balanced by acidity and a great tannic backbone. Red fruit come to the party too - still mainly primary with maybe a hint of development. a bargain indeed!
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Damn is this good. A really great, old school Aussie Shiraz with plenty of fruit that's certainly ripe, but not heavy or overripe, and accented by the start of developing smoky, leathery, and other savoury earthy flavours. The balance here is fantastic - intense on the palate with plenty of power, yet also quite graceful with bright acids and a grainy tannin spine keeping the fruit in check. This kept getting better and better with air.
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Overall impression is of soft sweet pure fruit. This really has great acidity for an aussie wine, really cuts through the sweet fruit and lifts the finish. Red cherry and black cherry fruit more than blackberry. Nice long finish. Stood up well to a 2005 Cayuse - almost as good.
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Opened as second bottle for the evening, following a Ribera del Duero...
Been a year since last bottle, perhaps performing a better this time. Definitely funky on the open, benefits from 30+ minutes in air, and start. After the funk blows off, nose was pine/forest floor, faint dark fruits.
Consistent with prior notes: palate of plums, dark fruit, spice, floral/lavender, stony minerality. Pepper and spices. Medium finish. Restrained, elegant and unique for an Aussie Shiraz. Drink over next 3-5 years
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Still going strong, really has turned out to be a nice wine to drink over the years. Very elegant. Florals and dark restrained fruit on the nose. At once bright and restrained in the mouth, redder fruits, more florals, some stony grit, nice core of acidity, pepper on the finish. Enough grip to keep going for a while, but not sure how much more development there will be.
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at home with burgers and salad, very little distraction from the wine...opened and drank over three hours.
Its been a couple years (pre CT) since the last bottle, my memory is that this has evolved a bit. If tasted blind, very few (myself included) would peg this as an Aussie Shiraz. Nose is more Old World, a little funk, (dissipated quickly), heat and licorice, black pepper.
Palate has similar profile, plums, dark fruit, spice, leather. Medium finish. Tannins integrated Closer to a Rhone than an Aussie Shiraz. restrained, elegant, showing the terroir. May continue to evolve, showing nicely now
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Much improved, this went from being a passable shiraz to a real Mount Langi experience, although I'm still not sure it's at the level of the standard Langi blue label. The flavors are mostly savory and pork-brothy, the fruit mostly red-fruited with a nice thirst-quenching acidic spine, but still deep and saturating and starting to pick up a leathery funk.
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Plum and black cherry aromas with very nice black pepper and licorice notes. Palate a bit less interesting, while showing the same basic profile, is somewhat short, one-dimensional and hollow. Worked well enough with spicy ribs tonight.
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Smooth. elegant and restrained, but with nice rich dark fruit flavours with hints of mineral. Well balanced; neither oak nor alcohol (14%) intrude. More old-world styled than a typical Australian shiraz but stands on its own as distinctively different than a North Rhone wine. A wonderful wine. Outstanding value (from Garagiste).
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Seemed fairly restrained with a subtle mix of dark fruits, oak, and earth tones. At a good point to drink now although could hold for several more years.
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5th bottle of 6, and not sure this one wasn't past peak. Very smooth, no noticeable tannins whatsover. This was good, but I think they were better 2 or so years ago. Not completely shutting down but I think I will pop #6 very soon as I think the fruit might be slipping away. Was never a fruit bomb, and loved it in it's prime, but worried fruit is slipping away. Cork was not an issue and there was no real seepage beyond 3/8'' or so. My cellar is kept right at 58-60 degrees F, so proceed cautiously here. BTW, great wine and a Garagiste classic - thanks Jon!
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Last bottle of the lot of 9 I bought from Garagiste--my very first order from them back in October of 2006. Best bottle of the bunch, with greater depth and complexity than I recall previously, smooth medium-weight body, and long finish. Cork soaked about 1/2 way up but no issues.
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This has turned into a beautiful wine. Cork saturated a third to half the way up. Lots of old world southern Rhone nose and texture but with more than a hint of Aussie fruit. Much more mellowed than several years ago.
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Cork soaked 1/3 of the way up. Deep and brooding in color. Nose is rich oily black fruit with clay and earth. This is a relative heavyweight with more savory dark fruit, but manages to stay pretty light on it's feet with balanced acidity and nice overall poise. It's a little hollow in the middle but overall has pretty good depth throughout. I won't mistake it for a N. Rhone, but it's also not an overblown Aussie diasaster. Was a good buy at the price.
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Best bottle yet. Doesn't overwhelm with complexity or depth, but the balance, silky texture, and finish have improved since my last bottle in 2008. Decanted for 30 min, peaked after about 2 hours of air.
I noticed several reviews with flawed/corked bottles. My cork was soaked about 7/8 of the way up but had not yet leaked or oxidized.
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This is my 5th bottle and the first one that has come through the greenness. After 2-3 hours the fruit shines through with classic syrah dark fruits but without too much jam or cream. Nice.
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Full nose has both red and black fruit, minerals and meaty notes. Palate shows a great finesse with forward fruit well checked with acidity and suave tannins. Nice focus and brightness from start to finish. Smooth and long finish. A great interplay of Aussie fruit with old world sensibility.
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14%. Double decanted. Really earthy initially, almost bretty/ non-Australian. Acidulated/ vitaminc C aftertaste, but with some air time the disjoint becomes less noticeable. Dark fruit notes. Not drinking very well, this bottle, at least. Maybe this needed more time. Is this the same wine I drank before - bottle variation?
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A clean, well-balanced Shiraz, with the berry fruit well in proportion to the mineral, herbal-spice components of this excellent wine. This has been a consistently enjoyable Shiraz and I am sorry this is my last bottle.
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Consistent with prior tastes. Ok wine and definitely tastes more of sourthern rhone, although Kurt thought the alcohol was clear on the nose relative to all the european wines.
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I popped this the night of the election. This is the story of the little Shiraz that could. I must commend Jon Rimmerman for this wine and the 2001 Bowen Estate Shiraz. Both wines have been, thankfully, unstereotypical for Shiraz. Both wines resemble Northern Rhone with the power and complexity of Cote Rotie and the rusticity and vigor of Cornas. The Mount Langhi shows notes of pepper, blueberry, animal, blood, roasted meats and herbs. It's graceful on the palate with a feeling of saturation without fatigue. Excellent balance and length. With air time, it begins to change somewhat by showing some dried fruit, slight raisin notes. It's a savory wine for sure and a superb deal. A great ringer to use in blind tastings.
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From a set-aside 250ml. Dark red, violet rim. Cedar, black pepper, plum, very fragrant, complex aromas. Medium weight. Smooth texture (but suggest decanting). 15 sec. finish. So surprising, this is aussie shiraz that you can actually have with a meal. Gets better every time I try it. Excellent to outstanding.
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Well rounded smooth Shiraz that evolved nicely the longer it was out. My impression is that it doesn't have an upside (unlike the 2005 Godolphin we had at the same time), but will always be a crowd pleaser.
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My impressions are fairly consistent w/ what's below, although I'd prefer not to put a number on it. Definitely quite minerally but reminded me most of a briary Southern Rhone wine w/ quite a bit of garrigue on the palate. Certainly not prototypical Oz shiraz we normally see in these parts. We'll see what day 2 is like but I enjoyed the wine. Frankly, strikes me as more like an old school cote du Rhone or Gigondas
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Pulled from the cellar and decanted 3 hrs...paired with Lamb Gyros...somewhat of a disappointment, and lends cred to the bottle variability issue previously stated. Gorgeous color and fine nose, but the wine itself was perhaps a tad too mineral-ly and just not deep enough in the fruits...has it hit a dumb stage (does that happen with Oz Shiraz?). Certainly nothing wrong with this wine, but not the standout that I expected. A bottle of the Mt Langi Blue Label two weeks prior wow'd us much more. Z
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Barely got a taste of this, unfortunately. Far more interesting and less overblown than any Aussie wine i've tasted in ages - but not interesting enough to drag me away from the '94 Fontalloro.
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Promising stuff, initially. Aussie Shiraz with more than a passing kinship with Loire Cabernet Franc, what with its slight tartness, thirst-quenching acidity, and sleek, civilized black fruit. With time it becomes more taxing to drink, though. The backbone stiffens up and eventually the alcohol becomes too much.
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I opened this wine too early but have another bottle which I'll open after another 5 years. The tasting notes here are recorded after decanting the wine for an hour. If you're going to open this guy today, I would decant for 2 hours before imbibing. Fantastic wine from Victoria. Deep dark color with expected aromas of dark berries and ripe plum. On the palette the wine produces chocolate, leather, liquorice and bacon all supported with just the right acidity to give the wine direction and balance. The wine feels light despite the dark palette and stays in balance for about 20 seconds. FInishes at the back of the palete with a hint of alcohol.
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Great wine to sneak into a northern Rhone tasting, deep scents of black currents, spices and earth with a dirty Hermitage finish. more notes tomorrow...
2nd day, nose is oozing currents, black cherries, pepper and damp soil. palate comes through with good structure and length, firm tannins and moderate oak should age well for 5 to 10 yrs.
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Fantastic. Flat out great nose, with spice and flowers that continue through a silky fresh palate of bright pure fruit and good minerality. Well balanced, with great texture and a firm acidic spine. Just gorgeous right out of the bottle. Sure it can age, but I won't be able to keep my hands off the rest. This one lives up to the Garagiste hype. Best QPR of my life.
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Garagiste Treasure Hunt (Chicago, IL): Complex aromas in the nose - with currants, spice and cedar. Very Bordeaux character. Palate has an abundance of rich fruit but medium body and a lively personality provided by lifting acidity. Medium-length spice-filled finish is compressed by tannic structure. Needs time to flourish (92-93).
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Thick, silky smooth, extraordinarily well-balanced Australian Shiraz. Pleasant nose and delicious berry fruit. Very pure and clean, with eucalyptus, sage and mint on the moderate finish. A surprisingly refreshing Shiraz.
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A funky, complex, Northern Rhone-like nose gave me high hopes for this wine, but it was fairly simple on the palate and had a clipped finish. Decent balance though, and clearly striving for elegance rather than power. A good value, but not a wine I would want to have again.
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Excellent wine - very well balanced despite its thick and powerful texture, nice zingy acidty, full of blackberry and cherry fruit with a juicy currant and chocolate finish. Excellent length.
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Outstanding. Very dark purple/inky color. Rich nose with chocolate, raspberries and a little leather. Understated and elegant palate of dark berries and herbs. Very laid back, soft and balanced. Long generous finish. Needed some breathing room.
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Much longer decant this time: approx 2 hours. In retrospect, this was probably too long, as it became a bit tart and astringent at the 3-hour mark. I enjoyed the wine (same notes as last bottle) but others preferred the more forward flavors of a $10 Heartland shiraz also being passed around the BBQ.
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Very focused, and understated shiraz. Nice, soft, well balanced fruit and finesse that is lacking in more typical examples of Aussie shiraz. Seems to have enough stuffing to age and develop even more - very nice now, however.
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Dark but partially translucent purple color. Nose of typical chocolate and red fruits, with some atypical rosewater in the mix. The palate was unusual with densely sweet blueberries and blackberries. I really enjoyed this flavor profile. Didn't have the quite the silky body and smoothness to bump it up to the next level, but a very nice bottle, if a bit over-hyped by Garagiste.
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Not a typical aussie shiraz. No rasiny plum fruit flavors, instead heavy on the herbs- sage, mint, white pepper. Drank too cold to start with, got slightly better when it warmed up.
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Very good wine and a great QPR. Medium bodied, and fairly delicate and well balanced for an Aussie shiraz. In addition to the dark fruits, I get a very interesting not of evergreen and asphalt. A nice buy by Garagiste.
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Terriffic wine. Not as monolithic as I expected, but super refined. Nowhere near ready yet, however. Leaving my others until 2012 at the very least. Will go for another 20 years on top of that.
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This is excellent juice! Soaring aromatics of blackberry and pepper, with hints of basil and bay leaf, give way to a medium-bodied, yet concentrated Shiraz. Where many other 02 Shiraz are clearly bass or baritone, this one is a tenor with range. The color is not so dark as to make one wonder whether it actually came from fruit. This looks as though it might have been made from grapes! Pure, laser-like sweet berries meld perfectly with a bright acidity and zest, giving the wine lift and a refreshing sense while still seeming rich and deep. There is a good bit of wood over the first hour or so ( a negative) that softens with time. The finish is penetrating and long. Like most Mount Langi Ghiran bottles, there is abundant (but not disconcerting) tannin which suggests that this bottle will age and develop with time (if I can keep my hands off). For the $$$, this is a beautiful bottle of wine.
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4/14/2020 - walkerjfw wrote:
Last bottle from a batch bought close to release. Splash decant, drank over an hour.
Medium garnet color, clear/separated at the rim. Nose of red bramble fruits and cedar. Palate of dusted pomegranate, cranberry, cigar box, underbrush. Tannins resolved, gracefully aged and elegant texture. Medium weight and finish.
As OZ Shiraz goes, this is unique in that it was made with a lighter hand but retains the signature flavors expected. It wont improve, nice to drink now. Probably heads to a tertiary phase in a few years. Nice to try this over the years...interesting wine
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1/5/2020 - VB9 wrote: 93 Points
4.3 medium to dark red color with a wonderful uplifting nose with a medium to dark somewhat complex body with a long aftertaste. 2002
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9/8/2019 - CMN wrote: 90 Points
Classic cold climate Shiraz. Red and black fruited with bretty notes. The tannins have completely receded in the wine. Very good, but will not improve with more time. Drink.
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3/17/2019 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black peppery on the palate, yet very balanced, nice nose, long finish.
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12/15/2018 - pnwsun wrote:
still going strong. nice opening and smooth finish.
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11/14/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Doran's. Here's the anti-Mollydooker, a graceful and structured syrah that can (and did) pass for a Northern Rhone in a blind tasting. Peppery, lovely raspberry fruit. Reads a bit younger than it actually is, which bodes well for further cellaring. The 'drink by' projection below is way off, this will easily make it 2025 and beyond.
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10/20/2018 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Weird bottle with more of the bandaid quality, with berries and earth. Rich but not heavy. Nice structure.
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10/30/2017 - Guy Des Rosiers Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep garnet core. Loads of terpenes (black pepper, cannabis, oregano) and plum on the nose - not a hint of American oak. Blind, I would have guessed something really good (and much more expensive!) from the Northern Rhone. Medium-bodied, balanced acidity and resolved tannins. The palate mirrors the nose beautifully, with terpenes front and center, swaddled in dramatic red and black fruit. Gains depth and complexity after a few hours in the decanter. Drinking brilliantly.
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11/7/2016 - CMN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red and black fruit, with a touch of dill and eucalyptus. There's a nice savoriness to the wine with notes of saddle leather and faint black pepper on the finish. The fruit is just a touch sweet, indicating its new world origin, but the wine making is very old school. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this wine; it is nothing like the Aussie Shiraz I had in my youth...and that's a good thing.
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10/8/2015 - zoeldar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely bottle of aged shiraz, dramatically better than previous bottle had several years ago. This was in a great place, with tannins mostly resolved and still vibrant mellow black fruits. Many secondary flavors, including some (good) leather, cinnamon & spice, a healthy savory/meaty component. Drank over three nights, profile was consistent. Drink now if you've got 'em, methinks we're at peak.
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4/30/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Very brief notes from TTTG (blind) (Vernon, CT): Very pretty nose (except for a bit of band aid). Puzzling wine that I could not place, but my mind never went to Syrah and never went to New World. Very nice structure and balance of fruit and earth. I liked this.
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4/30/2015 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Third Thursday tasting group (Vernon, CT): Another great bottle. Totally classic, old school Aussie Shiraz, with a core of elegant red and dark fruited flavours framed by more savoury earthy, tarry, smoky, and faint herbal accents. There's still a fair bit of grainy tannin here and bright acidity beneath, and the balance is fantastic.
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4/30/2015 - WMWG Likes this wine: 92 Points
TTTG (Salil's): Subtle nose shows sweet cherry, roses, tar and an initial rubber toy/ band-aid note that blew off. Very well-balanced on the palate; showing rich, youthful fruit that possessed good restraint and trade-off with its earthy components. Fine tannins. This really reminded me of a modern young Barolo.
Very Good to Excellent - Drink or Hold
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2/3/2015 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Very good, though not quite on the level of the last bottle I had in terms of complexity. Plenty of ripe fruit tinged with herbs and eucalyptus, though not showing the same savoury depth the other one did.
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10/9/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
Grand Sich and the Eiswein Show: as Salil said - "Old Skool" stuff. Powerful nose of ripe black fruit and smoke, with just a hint of leather coming in. the palate is much "lighter" than the nose suggests - with black fruit being balanced by acidity and a great tannic backbone. Red fruit come to the party too - still mainly primary with maybe a hint of development. a bargain indeed!
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10/8/2014 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Damn is this good. A really great, old school Aussie Shiraz with plenty of fruit that's certainly ripe, but not heavy or overripe, and accented by the start of developing smoky, leathery, and other savoury earthy flavours. The balance here is fantastic - intense on the palate with plenty of power, yet also quite graceful with bright acids and a grainy tannin spine keeping the fruit in check. This kept getting better and better with air.
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8/21/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Overall impression is of soft sweet pure fruit. This really has great acidity for an aussie wine, really cuts through the sweet fruit and lifts the finish. Red cherry and black cherry fruit more than blackberry. Nice long finish. Stood up well to a 2005 Cayuse - almost as good.
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8/1/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
Opened as second bottle for the evening, following a Ribera del Duero...
Been a year since last bottle, perhaps performing a better this time. Definitely funky on the open, benefits from 30+ minutes in air, and start. After the funk blows off, nose was pine/forest floor, faint dark fruits.
Consistent with prior notes: palate of plums, dark fruit, spice, floral/lavender, stony minerality. Pepper and spices. Medium finish. Restrained, elegant and unique for an Aussie Shiraz. Drink over next 3-5 years
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6/19/2014 - joshbryer Likes this wine:
Still going strong, really has turned out to be a nice wine to drink over the years. Very elegant. Florals and dark restrained fruit on the nose. At once bright and restrained in the mouth, redder fruits, more florals, some stony grit, nice core of acidity, pepper on the finish. Enough grip to keep going for a while, but not sure how much more development there will be.
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2/18/2014 - jerhardt wrote:
Opens with a rustic pine resin note that blew off within the first 30 minutes. Elegant and interesting. A nice wine.
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11/1/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
at home with burgers and salad, very little distraction from the wine...opened and drank over three hours.
Its been a couple years (pre CT) since the last bottle, my memory is that this has evolved a bit. If tasted blind, very few (myself included) would peg this as an Aussie Shiraz. Nose is more Old World, a little funk, (dissipated quickly), heat and licorice, black pepper.
Palate has similar profile, plums, dark fruit, spice, leather. Medium finish. Tannins integrated Closer to a Rhone than an Aussie Shiraz. restrained, elegant, showing the terroir. May continue to evolve, showing nicely now
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9/3/2013 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much improved, this went from being a passable shiraz to a real Mount Langi experience, although I'm still not sure it's at the level of the standard Langi blue label. The flavors are mostly savory and pork-brothy, the fruit mostly red-fruited with a nice thirst-quenching acidic spine, but still deep and saturating and starting to pick up a leathery funk.
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2/17/2013 - zovizule wrote:
Good - not typical Australian - drank blind and guesses were more french or WA. All integrated now, fairly soft and smooth. Excellent value
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11/10/2012 - cgoumas wrote: 92 Points
Took to Adam/Alex's for 30th b'day party...Really a delight to drink...but pretty big...
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8/18/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Plum and black cherry aromas with very nice black pepper and licorice notes. Palate a bit less interesting, while showing the same basic profile, is somewhat short, one-dimensional and hollow. Worked well enough with spicy ribs tonight.
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8/12/2012 - saturnaisland wrote: 93 Points
Smooth. elegant and restrained, but with nice rich dark fruit flavours with hints of mineral. Well balanced; neither oak nor alcohol (14%) intrude. More old-world styled than a typical Australian shiraz but stands on its own as distinctively different than a North Rhone wine. A wonderful wine. Outstanding value (from Garagiste).
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5/15/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Excellent bottle of wine. Wish I had more. Nice old world nose. Fruit integrated and not overly forward. Nice tanning.
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4/9/2012 - BigTarheel wrote: 88 Points
Seemed fairly restrained with a subtle mix of dark fruits, oak, and earth tones. At a good point to drink now although could hold for several more years.
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4/1/2012 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
good
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3/24/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Beautiful aussie shiraz. A bit of old world combined with some complex fruit.
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3/3/2012 - niwotcellar wrote: 89 Points
5th bottle of 6, and not sure this one wasn't past peak. Very smooth, no noticeable tannins whatsover. This was good, but I think they were better 2 or so years ago. Not completely shutting down but I think I will pop #6 very soon as I think the fruit might be slipping away. Was never a fruit bomb, and loved it in it's prime, but worried fruit is slipping away. Cork was not an issue and there was no real seepage beyond 3/8'' or so. My cellar is kept right at 58-60 degrees F, so proceed cautiously here. BTW, great wine and a Garagiste classic - thanks Jon!
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1/1/2012 - Magnolian wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle of the lot of 9 I bought from Garagiste--my very first order from them back in October of 2006. Best bottle of the bunch, with greater depth and complexity than I recall previously, smooth medium-weight body, and long finish. Cork soaked about 1/2 way up but no issues.
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12/4/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
This has turned into a beautiful wine. Cork saturated a third to half the way up. Lots of old world southern Rhone nose and texture but with more than a hint of Aussie fruit. Much more mellowed than several years ago.
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8/29/2011 - joshbryer Likes this wine:
Cork soaked 1/3 of the way up. Deep and brooding in color. Nose is rich oily black fruit with clay and earth. This is a relative heavyweight with more savory dark fruit, but manages to stay pretty light on it's feet with balanced acidity and nice overall poise. It's a little hollow in the middle but overall has pretty good depth throughout. I won't mistake it for a N. Rhone, but it's also not an overblown Aussie diasaster. Was a good buy at the price.
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7/31/2011 - kingb22 wrote: 92 Points
Even better than my last bottle. Still can tell its an Aussie, but in a good way.
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6/25/2011 - tcfishler wrote:
Dark garnet. Wonderful nose has more funk than Bootsy Collins, and a ton more restraint, with sweaty animal hides, woodsmoke, and rotting raspberries.
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5/21/2011 - El vino loco wrote: flawed
Corked again.
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2/6/2011 - Magnolian wrote: 91 Points
Best bottle yet. Doesn't overwhelm with complexity or depth, but the balance, silky texture, and finish have improved since my last bottle in 2008. Decanted for 30 min, peaked after about 2 hours of air.
I noticed several reviews with flawed/corked bottles. My cork was soaked about 7/8 of the way up but had not yet leaked or oxidized.
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11/4/2010 - El vino loco wrote: flawed
corked, oxidized. Can't drinkit.
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5/8/2010 - JasonNYC1 wrote:
Very beautiful AU syrah. not overly extracted, quite floral and great "deep" (dark fruit) flavors and nose - very enjoyable.
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4/11/2010 - El vino loco wrote: flawed
The bottle was either corked or mature. Either way, it was undrinkable. Not the case with a bottle I had a year ago.
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2/14/2010 - salil wrote: flawed
Corked. And damnit, my only bottle of this as well.
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1/31/2010 - redrhonewine wrote: 89 Points
This is my 5th bottle and the first one that has come through the greenness. After 2-3 hours the fruit shines through with classic syrah dark fruits but without too much jam or cream. Nice.
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12/12/2009 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Full nose has both red and black fruit, minerals and meaty notes. Palate shows a great finesse with forward fruit well checked with acidity and suave tannins. Nice focus and brightness from start to finish. Smooth and long finish. A great interplay of Aussie fruit with old world sensibility.
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11/18/2009 - kingb22 wrote: 91 Points
Good bottle of wine. Smooth oak, well integratqed into the fruit of the wine. Definitely Aussie - but very good. No rush to drink
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10/25/2009 - ogres3 wrote:
Much more French than Aussie. Great nose when opened, tasted well. Seemed to fade some after 30-45 minutes. Happy to have more. Go Mr T.
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10/1/2009 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Very tasty, intense
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9/9/2009 - jerhardt wrote: 91 Points
Evolving nice, this continues to be a very good, balanced, and restrained Australian wine.
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7/28/2009 - gr8r84u wrote:
I really enjoyed this one, much better than expected.
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5/31/2009 - Nico P. wrote:
14%. Double decanted. Really earthy initially, almost bretty/ non-Australian. Acidulated/ vitaminc C aftertaste, but with some air time the disjoint becomes less noticeable. Dark fruit notes. Not drinking very well, this bottle, at least. Maybe this needed more time. Is this the same wine I drank before - bottle variation?
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2/17/2009 - jayw wrote: 94 Points
A clean, well-balanced Shiraz, with the berry fruit well in proportion to the mineral, herbal-spice components of this excellent wine. This has been a consistently enjoyable Shiraz and I am sorry this is my last bottle.
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11/9/2008 - Mr T wrote:
Consistent with prior tastes. Ok wine and definitely tastes more of sourthern rhone, although Kurt thought the alcohol was clear on the nose relative to all the european wines.
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11/5/2008 - gregg g wrote:
I popped this the night of the election. This is the story of the little Shiraz that could. I must commend Jon Rimmerman for this wine and the 2001 Bowen Estate Shiraz. Both wines have been, thankfully, unstereotypical for Shiraz. Both wines resemble Northern Rhone with the power and complexity of Cote Rotie and the rusticity and vigor of Cornas. The Mount Langhi shows notes of pepper, blueberry, animal, blood, roasted meats and herbs. It's graceful on the palate with a feeling of saturation without fatigue. Excellent balance and length. With air time, it begins to change somewhat by showing some dried fruit, slight raisin notes. It's a savory wine for sure and a superb deal. A great ringer to use in blind tastings.
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10/9/2008 - Nico P. wrote: 90 Points
From a set-aside 250ml. Dark red, violet rim. Cedar, black pepper, plum, very fragrant, complex aromas. Medium weight. Smooth texture (but suggest decanting). 15 sec. finish. So surprising, this is aussie shiraz that you can actually have with a meal. Gets better every time I try it. Excellent to outstanding.
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9/1/2008 - Magnolian wrote: 87 Points
Mostly consistent with previos note, but became tart more quickly then before.
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6/23/2008 - Mr T wrote:
Taken to a block party and drunk from a plastic cup. Main impression remains briary and restrained
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5/19/2008 - RKatzDO wrote:
Fell apart after 1 hour of air.. Was nice early. Not overdone, well balanced. Will see what the next bottle brings.
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5/18/2008 - pizzler wrote: 90 Points
Well rounded smooth Shiraz that evolved nicely the longer it was out. My impression is that it doesn't have an upside (unlike the 2005 Godolphin we had at the same time), but will always be a crowd pleaser.
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5/18/2008 - jayw wrote: 90 Points
Ripe, expressive nose; core of blackberry fruit, with good mineral characterstics and not unpleasant savory herb note; briary finish with currants.
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4/30/2008 - rumpole wrote: 90 Points
Good cooler weather Aussie Shiraz.
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4/30/2008 - gr8r84u wrote: flawed
Seems to have a bit of secondary fermentation. A little fizzy.
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4/16/2008 - Mr T wrote:
My impressions are fairly consistent w/ what's below, although I'd prefer not to put a number on it. Definitely quite minerally but reminded me most of a briary Southern Rhone wine w/ quite a bit of garrigue on the palate. Certainly not prototypical Oz shiraz we normally see in these parts. We'll see what day 2 is like but I enjoyed the wine. Frankly, strikes me as more like an old school cote du Rhone or Gigondas
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4/15/2008 - Tintin wrote: 91 Points
A very minerally shiraz with notes of iron and slate. Quite elegant.
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4/1/2008 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Excellent, tangy fruit, w/strong spice & camphor elements
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2/24/2008 - zoeldar wrote: 89 Points
Pulled from the cellar and decanted 3 hrs...paired with Lamb Gyros...somewhat of a disappointment, and lends cred to the bottle variability issue previously stated. Gorgeous color and fine nose, but the wine itself was perhaps a tad too mineral-ly and just not deep enough in the fruits...has it hit a dumb stage (does that happen with Oz Shiraz?). Certainly nothing wrong with this wine, but not the standout that I expected. A bottle of the Mt Langi Blue Label two weeks prior wow'd us much more.
Z
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1/12/2008 - 5laton wrote:
Barely got a taste of this, unfortunately. Far more interesting and less overblown than any Aussie wine i've tasted in ages - but not interesting enough to drag me away from the '94 Fontalloro.
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12/31/2007 - JBVino wrote:
no notes taken...huge and a bit too primary for me but for traditional Aussie lovers might be singing
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12/30/2007 - danibus wrote: 91 Points
There's some bottle variation in these. More funk, with less silk and purity in this one, but still delicious.
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12/23/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 84 Points
Promising stuff, initially. Aussie Shiraz with more than a passing kinship with Loire Cabernet Franc, what with its slight tartness, thirst-quenching acidity, and sleek, civilized black fruit. With time it becomes more taxing to drink, though. The backbone stiffens up and eventually the alcohol becomes too much.
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12/21/2007 - duggarm@outlook.com wrote: 94 Points
I opened this wine too early but have another bottle which I'll open after another 5 years. The tasting notes here are recorded after decanting the wine for an hour. If you're going to open this guy today, I would decant for 2 hours before imbibing. Fantastic wine from Victoria. Deep dark color with expected aromas of dark berries and ripe plum. On the palette the wine produces chocolate, leather, liquorice and bacon all supported with just the right acidity to give the wine direction and balance. The wine feels light despite the dark palette and stays in balance for about 20 seconds. FInishes at the back of the palete with a hint of alcohol.
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12/16/2007 - AstonM wrote: 93 Points
Great wine to sneak into a northern Rhone tasting, deep scents of black currents, spices and earth with a dirty Hermitage finish.
more notes tomorrow...
2nd day, nose is oozing currents, black cherries, pepper and damp soil. palate comes through with good structure and length, firm tannins and moderate oak
should age well for 5 to 10 yrs.
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12/8/2007 - danibus wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic. Flat out great nose, with spice and flowers that continue through a silky fresh palate of bright pure fruit and good minerality. Well balanced, with great texture and a firm acidic spine. Just gorgeous right out of the bottle. Sure it can age, but I won't be able to keep my hands off the rest. This one lives up to the Garagiste hype. Best QPR of my life.
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12/4/2007 - gt1485a wrote: 92 Points
Great wine from what i remember.
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11/29/2007 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Garagiste Treasure Hunt (Chicago, IL): Complex aromas in the nose - with currants, spice and cedar. Very Bordeaux character. Palate has an abundance of rich fruit but medium body and a lively personality provided by lifting acidity. Medium-length spice-filled finish is compressed by tannic structure. Needs time to flourish (92-93).
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11/27/2007 - sadofsky wrote:
I opened this third bottle with great trepidation after two(!) corked bottles. This one was very good.
Not a fruit bomb. Good minerality (pencil lead?), eucalyptus/mint, blackberry.
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11/27/2007 - sadofsky wrote: flawed
A second corked bottle
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11/21/2007 - daveo6313 wrote: 93 Points
This was a very nice classic style Shiraz.
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11/11/2007 - jayw wrote: 91 Points
Thick, silky smooth, extraordinarily well-balanced Australian Shiraz. Pleasant nose and delicious berry fruit. Very pure and clean, with eucalyptus, sage and mint on the moderate finish. A surprisingly refreshing Shiraz.
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11/4/2007 - Spencer wrote: 88 Points
A funky, complex, Northern Rhone-like nose gave me high hopes for this wine, but it was fairly simple on the palate and had a clipped finish. Decent balance though, and clearly striving for elegance rather than power. A good value, but not a wine I would want to have again.
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11/2/2007 - sadofsky wrote: flawed
Corked. I could probably make people drink it at a party if I wanted to, but I certainly won't drink it myself!
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10/20/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine - very well balanced despite its thick and powerful texture, nice zingy acidty, full of blackberry and cherry fruit with a juicy currant and chocolate finish. Excellent length.
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10/9/2007 - organicveggie wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding. Very dark purple/inky color. Rich nose with chocolate, raspberries and a little leather. Understated and elegant palate of dark berries and herbs. Very laid back, soft and balanced. Long generous finish. Needed some breathing room.
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8/13/2007 - Magnolian wrote: 89 Points
Much longer decant this time: approx 2 hours. In retrospect, this was probably too long, as it became a bit tart and astringent at the 3-hour mark. I enjoyed the wine (same notes as last bottle) but others preferred the more forward flavors of a $10 Heartland shiraz also being passed around the BBQ.
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8/10/2007 - Bruno wrote: 92 Points
Very focused, and understated shiraz. Nice, soft, well balanced fruit and finesse that is lacking in more typical examples of Aussie shiraz. Seems to have enough stuffing to age and develop even more - very nice now, however.
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6/18/2007 - Magnolian wrote: 89 Points
Dark but partially translucent purple color. Nose of typical chocolate and red fruits, with some atypical rosewater in the mix. The palate was unusual with densely sweet blueberries and blackberries. I really enjoyed this flavor profile. Didn't have the quite the silky body and smoothness to bump it up to the next level, but a very nice bottle, if a bit over-hyped by Garagiste.
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5/27/2007 - LeechDogg wrote: 88 Points
Not a typical aussie shiraz. No rasiny plum fruit flavors, instead heavy on the herbs- sage, mint, white pepper. Drank too cold to start with, got slightly better when it warmed up.
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5/20/2007 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Very good wine and a great QPR. Medium bodied, and fairly delicate and well balanced for an Aussie shiraz. In addition to the dark fruits, I get a very interesting not of evergreen and asphalt. A nice buy by Garagiste.
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5/15/2007 - Wilbur1 wrote: 92 Points
Terriffic wine. Not as monolithic as I expected, but super refined. Nowhere near ready yet, however. Leaving my others until 2012 at the very least. Will go for another 20 years on top of that.
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5/13/2007 - Moorese wrote: 93 Points
This is excellent juice! Soaring aromatics of blackberry and pepper, with hints of basil and bay leaf, give way to a medium-bodied, yet concentrated Shiraz. Where many other 02 Shiraz are clearly bass or baritone, this one is a tenor with range. The color is not so dark as to make one wonder whether it actually came from fruit. This looks as though it might have been made from grapes! Pure, laser-like sweet berries meld perfectly with a bright acidity and zest, giving the wine lift and a refreshing sense while still seeming rich and deep. There is a good bit of wood over the first hour or so ( a negative) that softens with time. The finish is penetrating and long. Like most Mount Langi Ghiran bottles, there is abundant (but not disconcerting) tannin which suggests that this bottle will age and develop with time (if I can keep my hands off). For the $$$, this is a beautiful bottle of wine.
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