Deep red color, very fruity nose. A bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, spices combined with a nice sweetness. A bit jammy on the palate but wonderful, strong texture. Long finish with polished tannins. Still in good condition after more than 20 years.
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Opened over a few hours, as a lead in and a finish after a ‘97 Grange. Cork dry and crumbled, but wine intact with great structure. Tannins fully integrated and at peak now. Fruit and secondary flavours well alive. Fantastic
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Slow ox for two hours. This was spectacular. Terrific nose with some blackberry and a little meatiness. The palate was medium to full bodied, impeccably balanced, with delicious red and black fruits, smoked meats, herbs and spice coming through into a long finish. Reminded me a bit of an age Guigal La La with a new world bent.
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$100+ Blind Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Maroon core with larger rim, lots of sediment; licorice, meaty, slightly volatile, blueberry, some pomegranate, kind of a cooked fruit quality, spicy, peppery mix, oak, bacon fat, raspberry, Rhone varietals, slight medicinal; in a good spot; a well rendered New World Syrah aging quite nicely, could go even longer.
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Deep ruby garnet. Nose: ripe blackberry and some secondary red fruit complemented by leather, aniseed, chocolate, pepper, a whiff of smoke and charred meat. About four hours after decanted it had opened up nicely - very perfumed, noticeable violet notes.
Palate: intense and powerful but not unbalanced. Mouth filling with the high alcohol noticeable. Well structured with a long dry finish. Will not be to everyone's taste but I think this is excellent with this age on it. Still has 5+ years in it.
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Decanted three hours. It could have used more as this evolved in the glass over an additional two hours. At first taste this felt a little jammy with noticeable oak while also showing a lot of structure and concentration but over a couple hours in settled down and become much better integrated with layers of flavor adding complexity. Flavors of black cherry, kirsch, chocolate and spice come through. Full bodied with well integrated tannins. This is in an early maturity phase and will continue to develop and evolve. I would drink this over the next ten years.
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Rich black fruits with distinctive nose. Full bodied and balanced with fine grained tannins. Long finish. Two hour decant. Stand alone drinker. Plenty of life left.
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Nice blackberry fruit with layers of coffee mocha tobacco notes. Needs a good decant for it to brighten up and get truly enjoyable. Tannins are still quite firm. Should last another five years at least.
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Impossible to rate. Huge fruit bomb. Not my style. I did appreciate the energy and brightness of the fruit. Not porty like some other similar trophy shiraz.
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From memory. Brought to a tasting and shared amongst other very nice Wines this evening. This was the most modern style New World one in the group. It stood out compared to an aged Rhône Syrah and an aged first growth bord. P n P. No sed. No flaws to this wine. Is and was a big New World fruit oriented style wine. Not a monster, Just very different from the contrasting Wines that night. Enjoyable on its own and even paired with some meat dishes that night. Not sure about Parker’s big scores?
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Sorry, but I do not get this wine. It is pure jam, with the viscosity of motor oil. Intense, dense, fat and concentrated, but lacking in complexity and elegance. Perhaps if this was paired with roasted dinosaur it might work, but it's just not my thing. But for folks that really like this massive style and wall of fruit, it is going to be a winner.
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Last bottle of this high rating Parker wine. And it was a popular choice ! Unlike other bottle, cork was intact. Decanted for 1hr. Vanilla of new oak, the bourbon smell others have commented on along with tobacco. On the palate tannins integrated and soft. Big black fruits - typical Torbreck. It could probably go another year or 2.
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High levels of residual sugar. Came off overripe and over the top. Thermonuclear fruit bomb. Better the first time it was Coravined. Didn't love it tonight.
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Had issues with the cork to start with - completely crumbled away no matter what opener we tried, so had to be strained. After that though - dam impressive. Torbreck can be overwhelming and just to big often. Thus had good balance with acidity there. Spices, dark fruit and not fully secondary characteristics yet. At its peak I'd say.
Purple. Briars, blackberry, ripe plum with subtle black olive. Opened via Coravin and tasted over three hours. Good but not up to the previous hype on this night. Better younger?
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A little disappointed for the price and prestige. Funky Torbreck, black olive central, gamey, blueberry, meaty, beef blood, bacon fat. Complex yet odd.
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Coffee, aniseed and hard spices with charry oak, plums and black olives; really dark and dense but it does have a certain elegance to it as well which becomes more apparent with time in the decanter. Has plenty of opulence but in nice balance and a structure to see further development with more age.
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Ah, Australia Shiraz ages very nicely... David Powell sure as hell knows what he's doing... I don't have much in the cellar, but maybe I should... Outstanding- raspberry liqueur, pepper, licorice, balsamic, beefy, long finish... Delicious- and nicely paired with a coffee and herb crusted grilled tri tip and chimichurri... An outstanding lovely wine...
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Still quite youthful with a deep, dark hue and beautiful rich nose. Palate continues to soften but has all the hallmarks of the Torbreck style and has it all going on without going overboard. Full bodied, palate dominated by fennel, coffee, cloves and black fruit. Some background seasoned spice and cedary oak play a supporting role. A terrific wine with plenty left in the tank.
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Incredibly young showing; color is dark, black almost, and the wine is exploding with blackberries, olives and (first and foremost) the unmistakably Australian juiciness, that is the tell-tale Torbreck signature. Youthful, this is a 2002, 12 years old, and where will it go? I have no idea, but a delicious drink it is. 93+.
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Surprised by how youthful this still appears. Dark in color.. Pretty aromatics of acacia and quince, with maybe a whiff of vanilla. Chunky dark fruit palate that really lingers. I think it's drinking great but will be just as nice ten years down the road. Enjoyed it a lot.
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the palete of this wine shows licorice, good acidity, black pepper, still some tanins, blurberries-jam, espresso, and a tuch of oak. on the nose smoke, burnt sugar, wet autumn forrest, red and black berries, italian salami, tobacco. I really like this kind of wine, its not as good as the fantastic runrig but a really good wine. Accually it feels a bit like a good Hermitage wine. More french then the other Torbreck-wines I have tried. a more cool feeling then other Aussie shiraz wines.
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Dinner in Orlando (K Restaurant - Orlando, FL): I did think this showed better than the 68-point showing on the first bottle I had. Dark, dense and heavy - this is anything but elegant.
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Holy cow. Maybe Parker was right. Out of magnum, and with 13 years age, this was singing arias. Dark, smoky, smooth, voluptuous, sultry, smokin good wine. Opened on the 4th of July and the wine brought the (subtle) fireworks to the table. Would have loaded the truck had I known how this would turn out. They probably don't make it like this any more.
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I brought this along to the meal after a 4 hour decant at home. Thought it would represent well but someone else brought along a '94 Guigal La Turque! Not a happy comparison although educational. Still solid purple core with slight rim. Big fruit wine but some development and pepper showing through the extraction. Initially full crushed berry smell but developed after an hour to a more balanced interesting nose. lots of chocolate, presumably helped by the oak treatment.
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Rich, ripe meaty Shiraz. Lots of savory notes one would expect from a northern Rhone. Borderline sweetness keeps this from being truly outstanding. Time hasn't mellowed this, I'd imagine this will be very interesting for years to follow.
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Second recent bottle and I think it is really in its stride right now, balancing the "aussieness" of shiraz with some complexity that you expect from a wine of this price.
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Really starting to hit it straps now. Has softened a bit since I last tasted and is knitting together nicely. Dark, ripe berries, charcoal, licorice and smokey bacon flavours drench the palate. Oak is there but we'll balanced with the fruit. My favorite of the Torbreck stable, just a lovely Barossa Shiraz which will continue to improve.
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Giants win the Super Bowl! (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Ultra rip black fruit with lots of spice on the nose. Same incredibly ripe blackberry and black cherry flavors on palate, but they were able to stay just short of being jammy. Acid level is low and tannins are well integrated, so I think this wine is at a fairly good place now that the fruit has softened a bit, before it starts to fade and allow the alcohol to be even more prominent. I enjoyed this far more than I expected.
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Aussies at Abe and Louie's (Abe & Louie's): Wow! Seamless. A bit thin on the finish or it would have warranted a higher score. High quality fruit - lueberry, black cherry and blackberry.
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Colour was deep and very dark, almost pitch black. Decanted for an hour. On the nose dark, ripe fruits like blackcurrant was very obvious. Still, not at all as fruit-driven on the nose as I had expected. Rather deep and complex aromas. On the palate the ripe and mature fruit from the shiraz stood out in a very elegant way. Not at all as I had expected/feared (a fruit-alcohol-monster). In fact, this had some resemblence to some of the modern-style high-end Rhone-producers, in my view. Long, and lingering on the palate with ripe stone berries, herbs, leather and tertiary notes as well. Extremely good mouthwatering effort. And the alcohol was not dominating at all. The best Australian wine, I have ever tasted - so far, anyway. I believe that this vintage has up to 10 years of CIP ("cellar improvement potential"). Had this for new years dinner's main course: Filet of veal with roast potatoes, mushrooms, and a semi-glace-like sauce. A very successful combination.
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This wine was absolutely perfect this evening. This is everything you look for in a wine - perfectly balanced, sweet tannins with perfectly ripe fruit, and a multiplicity of layered flavors. An extraordinary bottle. We had this with gnocchi and prosciutto wrapped melon.
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Agree with last post. Great vintage. A good solid fully extracted red with lush fruit, spice and integrated tannins, but not a 99 pointer. Sad because I was hopeful this was at Run Rig level and half the price.
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Opened due to the comments below from Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC.). PnP at 52 degrees cellar temperature with better 95% (spouse). Not detecting the "searing alcohol heat" or "green, unripe characteristic" noted below. Initial nose of black cherry and rich, melted dark chocolate. The impact on the palate is intense and almost overwhelming due to the sheer concentration of glycerin and pure fruit. This is still an infant and needs time to shed the “baby fat” and reach its prime drinking window. I am rating 95 points because not sure if this truely extraordinary. Will decant and follow up in a few hours.
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Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Ouch. If the command was the positive surprise of the night, this was the negative. My first Torbreck experience and the wines have a very good reputation, but I was dissappointed. It was noted by a couple people with several Torbrecks under their belts that this was not typical. Maybe this was a bad bottle? I reserved giving this a score for that reason.
There was raspberry on the nose, but also a green, unripe characteristic and searing alcohol heat. It was obviously highly extracted, but I still found it quite thin, lacking any sort of core density or complexity. On the palate, I was offput by a similar green streak that ruined the wine for me. There was a little fruit underneath but I couldn't get past the high alcohol, thin profile and green characteristic. The finish was short and thin as well.
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Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Not my cup of tea. I just don't understand these levels of alcohol and extraction. The nose and palate were completely off-putting to me. Thought this was atrocious - definitely a shame given this wines reputation.
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Exemplary of Australian Shiraz', The Factor is lush, fruit heavy, low in tannins. Black cherry and other stone fruits in flavor. Sadly, I did not have time to decant, and we drank too quickly to truly allow the wine to open. That said, I will won't drink another bottle of this for a couple of years as I truly believe that a couple of more years of age will help this wine shine even brighter. This wine probably has another 10-20 years of life in it.
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This was a big disappointment, and an expensive one. This was my second bottle of this with a consistent disappointment. The wine had turned dull. It sill had the big taste, with a lot of alcohol coming through, but the subtleties and the vibrancy are gone. About half of my big Aussis of this era are now like this, and they have been well stored. Oh well, I have one bottle left, and one chance left...
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Blackberry liqueur, smoke, graphite and violets really explode from the glass in this stuctured, powerful wine. Remarkably, there is an elegance that belies the massive power and firm acidity and tannin structure give the wine a refreshing finish. Exceeded my expectations.
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No formal note taken, but this wine has come together with great harmony. Not 99 points to me (from RP), but a classic wine with great balance that is definately new world.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Dark hot blackberries. Massive fruity jammy and uber rich wine. Volcanic rock, roasted poblano pepper. Lots of heat on the nose. Huge weighty palate with more lip staining graphite driven black stewed fruit. Plummy, almost raisinated style. Very enjoyable despite the heat from the high alcohol level.
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This is still very young and consumed over two days. On day1 was rather tight but opened over time to show smoke and cassis with some floral notes. On day 2 this was much more intergrated yet show no signs of oxidation. It is a very nice shiraz but 99 points escapes me. Next bottle will be in about 5 or more years.
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Blind. 93;81. Gorgeous looking. All the way to the rim. Red thick legs. Black core. Decanted 2 hours. Fresh nose, spice and black currant. Soft, thick in the mouth. Lots of very black licorice. Delicious, exotic and expressive. Meat, black currant, blue flowers. On the guess, I nailed it. Love this wine.
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Occasional tasting group: C9duP 1998 - 2001 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): A mouth full of wine. Very concentrated blockbuster with refinement. There is chocolate, cassis, blackberry, tobacco etc. in the bouquet as well as the taste. Pleasant sweetness and well hidden acidity. Complex wine.
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Dark, sweet rich fruits on the nose. Lovely ripe, rich fruit on the palate with nice structure. Good concentration of rich blackcurranty fruit. Very appealing.
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This was very tightly wound even after a 2 hour decant. Firm blackberry, chalk, minerals provide a sturdy backbone, but the wine never really opens. While its structure is a nice change for Aussie shiraz, it is not an exuberant wine. Perhaps in a couple of years.
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Big, powerful wine. Slightly reductive notes of asphalt and tar. Not that expressive aromatically or on the palate, and at this point, not worth the tariff to me.
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This is s a shiraz lovers shiraz. Big wine with a beautiful nose. On the nose, unspecific red and blue fruits, a touch of tobacco and subtle floral note. In the mouth, it was a marraige of blueberry and rasberry with a touch of chocalate. Strange to look at my description on the palate,but in the mouth it was great. Came across very lush, but I can see this wine aging well due to the well concealed acidity. Hard for me to pin this as a 99 pt. wine, but I can't complain because it is a great wine in my mind. Hard to understand the 83 score from WS.
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Pulled this from the cellar thinking "well, I better drink this Aussie stuff before it gets too old" expecting another fruit bomb... Dark red color, lots of sediment. Fantastic and complex nose of coffee, earth, blackberries, bacon, pepper and minerals. Sharp, delienated and fabulous mountfeel, huge, yet light, and long... All that I would have hoped for - and then some... Judging from the other notes I'm glad that I didn't have this too young. Have to say that I simply don't understand the Wine Spectator rating of 83 points.......? Nor the Wine Advocate rating of 99.....
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An opaque ruby with a nose full of black and blue berries, white pepper and a very focused stoniness. Great texture with almost the essence of blackberries with anise, melted graphite and an almost liqueur like presence, without being OTT. This reminded me of the levels SA shiraz can achieve. Delicious. 94 pts.
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Tremendous, what a difference 18 months make!!!!! Decanted 3 hours at cellar temp.....deep purple on the eyes, on the nose, a raspberry ganache coated over espresso beans with a hint of vanillin. Initial taste similar to the nose, tannins picking up towards the mid, but the finish goes on and on, rg/espresso/spice (which is noticable on the finish) keep going for over 90 seconds. This was incredible tonight, but it will be very interesting to see what else develops over the next several years. I will load up when I see this again.
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Color is dark purple/blue. On the nose, plum, dark berry, tar, and a soft sense of spice. The palate reveals thick blackberry, plum, pepper, and big sweet tannins. Huge and somewhat unresolved. Very enjoyable to taste. Thanks again to John Amend for this treat.
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Torbreck The Factor, 94;87. Beautiful looking wine, very black and dense. Nose was reticent to start, showing a bit of dust, blackberries, black pepper, smoke, and cola though a general fresh sense. Nice fruit and spice characteristics unfolded thru the palate. While the tannins and fruit balanced nicely, this bottle didn’t show as much glycerin as normal but I felt the balance was excellent, however Lynn said it was also lowish. The aftertaste showed great with superb sweetness, violets, some bitterness and smoke and a good tannic grip and some saltiness. Serious wine. We have had five bottles of this wine in the past several months, including with David Powell (wine maker), and this was a very good bottle but not the best one we’ve had - just not quite as luscious as normal. Lynn actually felt it seemed a bit simple and hollow in places. It was my second favourite. 98 pts
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Bob Muraro brought to dinner at Emerson's in Woddstock, NY. I think I'm losing my liking for over the top intense Aussie Shiraz. This wine overwhelmed the food. I would recommend leaving it develop for 5 to 10 years.
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Really good but not quite as sublime as the last bottle. It did improve with in the decanting, getting better and better. Definitely decant the next bottle for 2 hours before drinking. It looked the same but the nose was not quite there and the power was not quite as fantastic as the other.
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WOW!!! This is fantastic. Is this the darkest wine I’ve ever seen? Dark to the core with an almost flourecent red rim. Big nose with licorice, dark fruit, smoke, leather. Enormous, sweet fruit intensity (obviously old vines/low yield) but still almost restrained and well balanced - slmost elegant. Seamless and very well integrated already. Fairly long aftertaste starting with dark but focused fruit, then going to tar, a touch of bitterness, smoke, leather, earth and then back to sweet fruit again and in the end a faint sweet vanilla. Best Aussie wine I’ve ever had. It is pure and focused in its flavors but there is still an almost unctous richness to it, but the acidity and tannins are there to still keep it in balance. Very impressive!
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Drank this alongside Factors from 98, 99, 00, and 01. To my palate, it was the biggest and best of the bunch. Decanted at noon and drank around 7:00 pm. Intense fruit and mouthcoating tannin. Rich blueberry and blackberry. Lots of sweet tannin on the 30+ finish.
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Australia v. France (Tokyo American Club): Deeper, inkier. Absolutely dense looking. Lots of wood on nose, licorice, candied fruit. Very, very primary!! Viscous and sweet and jammy on palate. Chocolate in both feel and flavor. Lots of fun! With food??? Don't know. Way, way young. Rich berry fruit, tannin coming out on finish, but not in any aggressive way. Needs the tannin to cut through the rich sweet fruit.
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Big dense, dark brooding fruits on the nose. This thing had some rich dark chocolate and earth notes as well as plum and tar. There was some evident oak all but soaked up by the dense fruit. A massively endowed wine but still structured.
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7/31/2023 - Macdog wrote:
either stewed or just not very good. not rated.
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6/25/2023 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red color, very fruity nose. A bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, spices combined with a nice sweetness. A bit jammy on the palate but wonderful, strong texture. Long finish with polished tannins. Still in good condition after more than 20 years.
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4/8/2023 - Handy1 wrote: 94 Points
Slow ox 3 hours. Great match with leg of lamb, good fruit, slight bit jammy/ hint of sweetness but overall excellent.
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1/5/2023 - jonnyoro wrote: 98 Points
Similar to previous note from 6 years ago… only BETTER.
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4/23/2022 - JamesWa Likes this wine:
Opened over a few hours, as a lead in and a finish after a ‘97 Grange. Cork dry and crumbled, but wine intact with great structure. Tannins fully integrated and at peak now. Fruit and secondary flavours well alive. Fantastic
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2/11/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 96 Points
Slow ox for two hours. This was spectacular. Terrific nose with some blackberry and a little meatiness. The palate was medium to full bodied, impeccably balanced, with delicious red and black fruits, smoked meats, herbs and spice coming through into a long finish. Reminded me a bit of an age Guigal La La with a new world bent.
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1/14/2022 - Rezy13 wrote:
$100+ Blind Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Maroon core with larger rim, lots of sediment; licorice, meaty, slightly volatile, blueberry, some pomegranate, kind of a cooked fruit quality, spicy, peppery mix, oak, bacon fat, raspberry, Rhone varietals, slight medicinal; in a good spot; a well rendered New World Syrah aging quite nicely, could go even longer.
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10/9/2021 - BAJRiley Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby garnet. Nose: ripe blackberry and some secondary red fruit complemented by leather, aniseed, chocolate, pepper, a whiff of smoke and charred meat. About four hours after decanted it had opened up nicely - very perfumed, noticeable violet notes.
Palate: intense and powerful but not unbalanced. Mouth filling with the high alcohol noticeable. Well structured with a long dry finish. Will not be to everyone's taste but I think this is excellent with this age on it. Still has 5+ years in it.
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8/31/2020 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Nose: B++ Palate: B Tasted blind.
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8/29/2020 - fizz wrote:
Dark chocolate, cherry, aniseed. Full flavoured palate with lingering, fine, silty tannins.
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3/25/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted three hours. It could have used more as this evolved in the glass over an additional two hours. At first taste this felt a little jammy with noticeable oak while also showing a lot of structure and concentration but over a couple hours in settled down and become much better integrated with layers of flavor adding complexity. Flavors of black cherry, kirsch, chocolate and spice come through. Full bodied with well integrated tannins. This is in an early maturity phase and will continue to develop and evolve. I would drink this over the next ten years.
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3/17/2020 - mvande21 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rich black fruits with distinctive nose. Full bodied and balanced with fine grained tannins. Long finish. Two hour decant. Stand alone drinker. Plenty of life left.
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9/29/2019 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Nice blackberry fruit with layers of coffee mocha tobacco notes. Needs a good decant for it to brighten up and get truly enjoyable. Tannins are still quite firm. Should last another five years at least.
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6/29/2019 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 98 Points
Astonishingly rich for the age. Fully locked and loaded.
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12/26/2018 - danibus wrote:
Impossible to rate. Huge fruit bomb. Not my style. I did appreciate the energy and brightness of the fruit. Not porty like some other similar trophy shiraz.
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9/8/2018 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 92 Points
From memory. Brought to a tasting and shared amongst other very nice Wines this evening. This was the most modern style New World one in the group. It stood out compared to an aged Rhône Syrah and an aged first growth bord. P n P. No sed. No flaws to this wine. Is and was a big New World fruit oriented style wine. Not a monster, Just very different from the contrasting Wines that night. Enjoyable on its own and even paired with some meat dishes that night. Not sure about Parker’s big scores?
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2/19/2018 - Stonewws wrote:
delicious. Plenty of legs left as still primary fruit but such a beautiful wine.
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2/11/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 80 Points
Sorry, but I do not get this wine. It is pure jam, with the viscosity of motor oil. Intense, dense, fat and concentrated, but lacking in complexity and elegance. Perhaps if this was paired with roasted dinosaur it might work, but it's just not my thing. But for folks that really like this massive style and wall of fruit, it is going to be a winner.
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7/22/2016 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
Poker night - Mostly double blind - Rayas, Masseto, Schrader, QC and etc. (Reston, Va): Double blind. Really ripe fruit expression, blackberry jam, dry cherry, plum and earth. Slightly monolithic and very ripe. My guess is mature Turley zinfandel.
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4/17/2016 - chadslater Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle of this high rating Parker wine. And it was a popular choice ! Unlike other bottle, cork was intact. Decanted for 1hr. Vanilla of new oak, the bourbon smell others have commented on along with tobacco. On the palate tannins integrated and soft. Big black fruits - typical Torbreck. It could probably go another year or 2.
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2/27/2016 - andy C Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still has a lot left. Decanted for an hour and half and is still showing very well.
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1/30/2016 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 85 Points
High levels of residual sugar. Came off overripe and over the top. Thermonuclear fruit bomb. Better the first time it was Coravined. Didn't love it tonight.
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1/29/2016 - chadslater Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had issues with the cork to start with - completely crumbled away no matter what opener we tried, so had to be strained. After that though - dam impressive. Torbreck can be overwhelming and just to big often. Thus had good balance with acidity there. Spices, dark fruit and not fully secondary characteristics yet. At its peak I'd say.
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12/28/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Purple. Briars, blackberry, ripe plum with subtle black olive. Opened via Coravin and tasted over three hours. Good but not up to the previous hype on this night. Better younger?
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12/28/2015 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 94 Points
A little disappointed for the price and prestige. Funky Torbreck, black olive central, gamey, blueberry, meaty, beef blood, bacon fat. Complex yet odd.
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12/13/2015 - Wallyhk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding. Decanted for 2 hours before drinking and it just got better and better.
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11/24/2015 - Biglama wrote: 92 Points
mooie volle wijn, veel inhoud, sappig, niet overdadig
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10/16/2015 - deverett wrote: 93 Points
Coffee, aniseed and hard spices with charry oak, plums and black olives; really dark and dense but it does have a certain elegance to it as well which becomes more apparent with time in the decanter. Has plenty of opulence but in nice balance and a structure to see further development with more age.
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9/19/2015 - jimbooz wrote: 100 Points
Cracker
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9/19/2015 - jimbooz wrote: 100 Points
Cracker !
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6/6/2015 - jonnyoro wrote: 96 Points
Ah, Australia Shiraz ages very nicely... David Powell sure as hell knows what he's doing... I don't have much in the cellar, but maybe I should... Outstanding- raspberry liqueur, pepper, licorice, balsamic, beefy, long finish... Delicious- and nicely paired with a coffee and herb crusted grilled tri tip and chimichurri... An outstanding lovely wine...
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10/13/2014 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Stunning wine that is still fresh and vibrant. Well integrated with a rich mouthfeel.
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9/22/2014 - deverett wrote: 94 Points
Still quite youthful with a deep, dark hue and beautiful rich nose. Palate continues to soften but has all the hallmarks of the Torbreck style and has it all going on without going overboard. Full bodied, palate dominated by fennel, coffee, cloves and black fruit. Some background seasoned spice and cedary oak play a supporting role. A terrific wine with plenty left in the tank.
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6/3/2014 - beatles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredibly young showing; color is dark, black almost, and the wine is exploding with blackberries, olives and (first and foremost) the unmistakably Australian juiciness, that is the tell-tale Torbreck signature. Youthful, this is a 2002, 12 years old, and where will it go? I have no idea, but a delicious drink it is. 93+.
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5/11/2014 - MWiking Likes this wine: 95 Points
brilliant Shiraz wine, fully matured and with a deap, deaper then hell. Its just layer after layer. I love this wine.
the only negative things is the wine is a little bit sweet and has a bit of glue on the nose but all the possitve things are overwhelming.
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11/15/2013 - rcg62 wrote: 95 Points
Surprised by how youthful this still appears. Dark in color.. Pretty aromatics of acacia and quince, with maybe a whiff of vanilla. Chunky dark fruit palate that really lingers. I think it's drinking great but will be just as nice ten years down the road. Enjoyed it a lot.
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11/2/2013 - MWiking wrote: 94 Points
the palete of this wine shows licorice, good acidity, black pepper, still some tanins, blurberries-jam, espresso, and a tuch of oak.
on the nose smoke, burnt sugar, wet autumn forrest, red and black berries, italian salami, tobacco.
I really like this kind of wine, its not as good as the fantastic runrig but a really good wine. Accually it feels a bit like a good Hermitage wine. More french then the other Torbreck-wines I have tried. a more cool feeling then other Aussie shiraz wines.
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9/12/2013 - tooch wrote:
Dinner in Orlando (K Restaurant - Orlando, FL): I did think this showed better than the 68-point showing on the first bottle I had. Dark, dense and heavy - this is anything but elegant.
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9/10/2013 - ubercuvee wrote:
Unlike my last bottle this was a fabulous marriage of espresso roast and raspberry after an hour in the decanter. Destined for good things
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7/5/2013 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
Holy cow. Maybe Parker was right. Out of magnum, and with 13 years age, this was singing arias. Dark, smoky, smooth, voluptuous, sultry, smokin good wine. Opened on the 4th of July and the wine brought the (subtle) fireworks to the table. Would have loaded the truck had I known how this would turn out. They probably don't make it like this any more.
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5/9/2013 - DonalOB wrote: 93 Points
I brought this along to the meal after a 4 hour decant at home. Thought it would represent well but someone else brought along a '94 Guigal La Turque! Not a happy comparison although educational.
Still solid purple core with slight rim. Big fruit wine but some development and pepper showing through the extraction. Initially full crushed berry smell but developed after an hour to a more balanced interesting nose. lots of chocolate, presumably helped by the oak treatment.
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4/4/2013 - themki wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully balanced dark fruit, spice, and charcoal. Perfectly integrated now, long finish but a little thin
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10/13/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
Rich, ripe meaty Shiraz. Lots of savory notes one would expect from a northern Rhone. Borderline sweetness keeps this from being truly outstanding. Time hasn't mellowed this, I'd imagine this will be very interesting for years to follow.
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9/21/2012 - mrmedoes wrote: 93 Points
Second recent bottle and I think it is really in its stride right now, balancing the "aussieness" of shiraz with some complexity that you expect from a wine of this price.
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6/4/2012 - deverett wrote: 94 Points
Really starting to hit it straps now. Has softened a bit since I last tasted and is knitting together nicely. Dark, ripe berries, charcoal, licorice and smokey bacon flavours drench the palate. Oak is there but we'll balanced with the fruit. My favorite of the Torbreck stable, just a lovely Barossa Shiraz which will continue to improve.
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2/5/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Giants win the Super Bowl! (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Ultra rip black fruit with lots of spice on the nose. Same incredibly ripe blackberry and black cherry flavors on palate, but they were able to stay just short of being jammy. Acid level is low and tannins are well integrated, so I think this wine is at a fairly good place now that the fruit has softened a bit, before it starts to fade and allow the alcohol to be even more prominent. I enjoyed this far more than I expected.
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1/18/2012 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
Aussies at Abe and Louie's (Abe & Louie's): Wow! Seamless. A bit thin on the finish or it would have warranted a higher score. High quality fruit - lueberry, black cherry and blackberry.
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1/9/2012 - madflyfisher wrote:
Colour was deep and very dark, almost pitch black. Decanted for an hour. On the nose dark, ripe fruits like blackcurrant was very obvious. Still, not at all as fruit-driven on the nose as I had expected. Rather deep and complex aromas. On the palate the ripe and mature fruit from the shiraz stood out in a very elegant way. Not at all as I had expected/feared (a fruit-alcohol-monster). In fact, this had some resemblence to some of the modern-style high-end Rhone-producers, in my view. Long, and lingering on the palate with ripe stone berries, herbs, leather and tertiary notes as well. Extremely good mouthwatering effort. And the alcohol was not dominating at all. The best Australian wine, I have ever tasted - so far, anyway. I believe that this vintage has up to 10 years of CIP ("cellar improvement potential"). Had this for new years dinner's main course: Filet of veal with roast potatoes, mushrooms, and a semi-glace-like sauce. A very successful combination.
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11/27/2011 - TMacpherson Likes this wine: 100 Points
This wine was absolutely perfect this evening. This is everything you look for in a wine - perfectly balanced, sweet tannins with perfectly ripe fruit, and a multiplicity of layered flavors. An extraordinary bottle. We had this with gnocchi and prosciutto wrapped melon.
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11/14/2011 - DHutch wrote: 94 Points
Agree with last post. Great vintage. A good solid fully extracted red with lush fruit, spice and integrated tannins, but not a 99 pointer. Sad because I was hopeful this was at Run Rig level and half the price.
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6/5/2011 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
A good wine, lots of fruit still...good extraction. But 99pts? Come on parker....
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5/9/2011 - LikeABC wrote:
one of my two favorite wines so far in 2011. Stunning. Changed a few times over the course of four hours.
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3/20/2011 - Mr. Muga wrote: 95 Points
Opened due to the comments below from Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC.). PnP at 52 degrees cellar temperature with better 95% (spouse). Not detecting the "searing alcohol heat" or "green, unripe characteristic" noted below. Initial nose of black cherry and rich, melted dark chocolate. The impact on the palate is intense and almost overwhelming due to the sheer concentration of glycerin and pure fruit. This is still an infant and needs time to shed the “baby fat” and reach its prime drinking window. I am rating 95 points because not sure if this truely extraordinary. Will decant and follow up in a few hours.
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3/16/2011 - gblacave wrote:
Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Ouch. If the command was the positive surprise of the night, this was the negative. My first Torbreck experience and the wines have a very good reputation, but I was dissappointed. It was noted by a couple people with several Torbrecks under their belts that this was not typical. Maybe this was a bad bottle? I reserved giving this a score for that reason.
There was raspberry on the nose, but also a green, unripe characteristic and searing alcohol heat. It was obviously highly extracted, but I still found it quite thin, lacking any sort of core density or complexity. On the palate, I was offput by a similar green streak that ruined the wine for me. There was a little fruit underneath but I couldn't get past the high alcohol, thin profile and green characteristic. The finish was short and thin as well.
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3/16/2011 - tooch wrote: 68 Points
Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Not my cup of tea. I just don't understand these levels of alcohol and extraction. The nose and palate were completely off-putting to me. Thought this was atrocious - definitely a shame given this wines reputation.
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3/1/2011 - jsully75 wrote: 92 Points
maybe too young
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1/5/2011 - Brewcreu wrote: 94 Points
Exemplary of Australian Shiraz', The Factor is lush, fruit heavy, low in tannins. Black cherry and other stone fruits in flavor. Sadly, I did not have time to decant, and we drank too quickly to truly allow the wine to open. That said, I will won't drink another bottle of this for a couple of years as I truly believe that a couple of more years of age will help this wine shine even brighter. This wine probably has another 10-20 years of life in it.
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11/8/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Have had this 30 times and always loved it. This time not as great. Still very good but....
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3/31/2010 - Winevestor wrote: 91 Points
This was a big disappointment, and an expensive one. This was my second bottle of this with a consistent disappointment. The wine had turned dull. It sill had the big taste, with a lot of alcohol coming through, but the subtleties and the vibrancy are gone. About half of my big Aussis of this era are now like this, and they have been well stored. Oh well, I have one bottle left, and one chance left...
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3/23/2010 - rmodak wrote: 94 Points
Blackberry liqueur, smoke, graphite and violets really explode from the glass in this stuctured, powerful wine. Remarkably, there is an elegance that belies the massive power and firm acidity and tannin structure give the wine a refreshing finish. Exceeded my expectations.
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3/21/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote: 95 Points
No formal note taken, but this wine has come together with great harmony. Not 99 points to me (from RP), but a classic wine with great balance that is definately new world.
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12/12/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Dark hot blackberries. Massive fruity jammy and uber rich wine.
Volcanic rock, roasted poblano pepper. Lots of heat on the nose.
Huge weighty palate with more lip staining graphite driven black stewed fruit.
Plummy, almost raisinated style.
Very enjoyable despite the heat from the high alcohol level.
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10/8/2009 - g-man wrote: 93 Points
This is still very young and consumed over two days. On day1 was rather tight but opened over time to show smoke and cassis with some floral notes. On day 2 this was much more intergrated yet show no signs of oxidation. It is a very nice shiraz but 99 points escapes me. Next bottle will be in about 5 or more years.
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8/24/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 98 Points
Blind. 93;81. Gorgeous looking. All the way to the rim. Red thick legs. Black core. Decanted 2 hours. Fresh nose, spice and black currant. Soft, thick in the mouth. Lots of very black licorice. Delicious, exotic and expressive. Meat, black currant, blue flowers. On the guess, I nailed it. Love this wine.
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5/8/2009 - DinFitz wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding. Assertive, unrelenting fruit. Manages to remain refined.
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4/20/2009 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Occasional tasting group: C9duP 1998 - 2001 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): A mouth full of wine. Very concentrated blockbuster with refinement. There is chocolate, cassis, blackberry, tobacco etc. in the bouquet as well as the taste. Pleasant sweetness and well hidden acidity. Complex wine.
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2/14/2009 - du Beaune wrote: 94 Points
Dark, sweet rich fruits on the nose. Lovely ripe, rich fruit on the palate with nice structure. Good concentration of rich blackcurranty fruit. Very appealing.
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2/2/2009 - rmodak wrote: 90 Points
This was very tightly wound even after a 2 hour decant. Firm blackberry, chalk, minerals provide a sturdy backbone, but the wine never really opens. While its structure is a nice change for Aussie shiraz, it is not an exuberant wine. Perhaps in a couple of years.
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11/22/2008 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Big, powerful wine. Slightly reductive notes of asphalt and tar. Not that expressive aromatically or on the palate, and at this point, not worth the tariff to me.
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6/22/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 95 Points
Huge lavender and black fruits. No official note taken...
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6/7/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
This is s a shiraz lovers shiraz. Big wine with a beautiful nose. On the nose, unspecific red and blue fruits, a touch of tobacco and subtle floral note. In the mouth, it was a marraige of blueberry and rasberry with a touch of chocalate. Strange to look at my description on the palate,but in the mouth it was great. Came across very lush, but I can see this wine aging well due to the well concealed acidity. Hard for me to pin this as a 99 pt. wine, but I can't complain because it is a great wine in my mind. Hard to understand the 83 score from WS.
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3/31/2008 - JLL wrote: 85 Points
dark and smoky, fruit was very subdued with the biggest factor in the tasting...OAK.
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11/8/2007 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
Pulled this from the cellar thinking "well, I better drink this Aussie stuff before it gets too old" expecting another fruit bomb... Dark red color, lots of sediment. Fantastic and complex nose of coffee, earth, blackberries, bacon, pepper and minerals. Sharp, delienated and fabulous mountfeel, huge, yet light, and long... All that I would have hoped for - and then some... Judging from the other notes I'm glad that I didn't have this too young. Have to say that I simply don't understand the Wine Spectator rating of 83 points.......? Nor the Wine Advocate rating of 99.....
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11/3/2007 - cct wrote: 94 Points
An opaque ruby with a nose full of black and blue berries, white pepper and a very focused stoniness. Great texture with almost the essence of blackberries with anise, melted graphite and an almost liqueur like presence, without being OTT. This reminded me of the levels SA shiraz can achieve. Delicious. 94 pts.
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8/11/2007 - JLL wrote: 95 Points
Tremendous, what a difference 18 months make!!!!! Decanted 3 hours at cellar temp.....deep purple on the eyes, on the nose, a raspberry ganache coated over espresso beans with a hint of vanillin. Initial taste similar to the nose, tannins picking up towards the mid, but the finish goes on and on, rg/espresso/spice (which is noticable on the finish) keep going for over 90 seconds. This was incredible tonight, but it will be very interesting to see what else develops over the next several years. I will load up when I see this again.
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3/31/2007 - Thilo wrote: 93 Points
Color is dark purple/blue. On the nose, plum, dark berry, tar, and a soft sense of spice. The palate reveals thick blackberry, plum, pepper, and big sweet tannins. Huge and somewhat unresolved. Very enjoyable to taste. Thanks again to John Amend for this treat.
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3/3/2007 - phenricsson wrote: 98 Points
Torbreck The Factor, 94;87. Beautiful looking wine, very black and dense. Nose was reticent to start, showing a bit of dust, blackberries, black pepper, smoke, and cola though a general fresh sense. Nice fruit and spice characteristics unfolded thru the palate. While the tannins and fruit balanced nicely, this bottle didn’t show as much glycerin as normal but I felt the balance was excellent, however Lynn said it was also lowish. The aftertaste showed great with superb sweetness, violets, some bitterness and smoke and a good tannic grip and some saltiness. Serious wine. We have had five bottles of this wine in the past several months, including with David Powell (wine maker), and this was a very good bottle but not the best one we’ve had - just not quite as luscious as normal. Lynn actually felt it seemed a bit simple and hollow in places. It was my second favourite. 98 pts
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1/26/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 94 Points
Australia Day Wine Celebration (Outback Steakhouse, Los Angeles, CA): Wow, this wine is very impressive and demands attention. Rich and concentrated notes of blueberry, plum, and leather. Burst of mint on the finish. Easily the WOTF and my WOTN. 94-95 points.
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9/30/2006 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
eBob Dinner with Marc Christenson (onesixtyblue): Really lovely rich round sweet black fruit.
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9/8/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Bob Muraro brought to dinner at Emerson's in Woddstock, NY. I think I'm losing my liking for over the top intense Aussie Shiraz. This wine overwhelmed the food. I would recommend leaving it develop for 5 to 10 years.
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5/14/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, rich, subtle flavors. A bit thin in the middle. Perhaps it needs more time.
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4/19/2006 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
Really good but not quite as sublime as the last bottle. It did improve with in the decanting, getting better and better. Definitely decant the next bottle for 2 hours before drinking. It looked the same but the nose was not quite there and the power was not quite as fantastic as the other.
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3/14/2006 - JLL wrote: 88 Points
decanted for 6 hours.....tannic beast, needs 3-5 more years
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2/14/2006 - phenricsson wrote: 99 Points
WOW!!! This is fantastic. Is this the darkest wine I’ve ever seen? Dark to the core with an almost flourecent red rim. Big nose with licorice, dark fruit, smoke, leather. Enormous, sweet fruit intensity (obviously old vines/low yield) but still almost restrained and well balanced - slmost elegant. Seamless and very well integrated already. Fairly long aftertaste starting with dark but focused fruit, then going to tar, a touch of bitterness, smoke, leather, earth and then back to sweet fruit again and in the end a faint sweet vanilla. Best Aussie wine I’ve ever had. It is pure and focused in its flavors but there is still an almost unctous richness to it, but the acidity and tannins are there to still keep it in balance. Very impressive!
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11/4/2005 - trankin wrote: 92 Points
Acker Merrall 2002 Aussie Blind Shiraz Showdown (Amuse): Dark red, full bodied. Nose of red fruit and peach? Chocolate, red, very round. Sweet. A bit of fig.
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5/7/2005 - GlenD wrote: 95 Points
Drank this alongside Factors from 98, 99, 00, and 01. To my palate, it was the biggest and best of the bunch. Decanted at noon and drank around 7:00 pm. Intense fruit and mouthcoating tannin. Rich blueberry and blackberry. Lots of sweet tannin on the 30+ finish.
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1/21/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
Australia v. France (Tokyo American Club): Deeper, inkier. Absolutely dense looking. Lots of wood on nose, licorice, candied fruit. Very, very primary!! Viscous and sweet and jammy on palate. Chocolate in both feel and flavor. Lots of fun! With food??? Don't know. Way, way young. Rich berry fruit, tannin coming out on finish, but not in any aggressive way. Needs the tannin to cut through the rich sweet fruit.
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1/8/2005 - Greg W wrote: 92 Points
Hi-Time tasting - Wines you wish you got for Christmas (Hi-Time Wine Cellar): Purple/black in color. Nose of dark fruits and chocolate. In the mouth, notes of very ripe berries, milk chocolate, pepper, spice and tobacco. Very complex and complete. Great finish - tannic but smooth.
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11/26/2004 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Big dense, dark brooding fruits on the nose. This thing had some rich dark chocolate and earth notes as well as plum and tar. There was some evident oak all but soaked up by the dense fruit. A massively endowed wine but still structured.
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