Dark red rust with hints of brown. Complex nose of ripe fruits, caramelised chocolate. Alcoholic lace on the glass reflecting the 16% alcohol. Ripe blood plums, supple full body powerful Shiraz, distant hint of liquorice. Lingering after taste of blackberries well balanced acidity.
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Great wine. Kept in random places, not temperature controlled. Color is dark red quite brown on the rim. Nose is black olive and dried herbs. On the palate is dense, very dense with velvety fully developed tannins. There is fruit (mostly plum) in addition to olives and dried herbs and some tobacco and very evident graphite. Surprising (at least to me, never tried this producer) acidity that keeps in balance this thick wine. Fully integrated at peak drink now but can hold for another 4 years at least given the bright acidity. Long aftertaste with some balsamic notes.
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Wow. Beautiful wine. Creamy texture, fruit, and tertiary notes are all strong. Red fruit, nutmeg, mustard seed, toffee, and an ashy earthiness on the nose. Palate is very creamy with velvety and sweet motes. Beautiful wine. Long finish too.
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Always a crowd pleaser, and aging into a very balanced wine, with big fruit and rough wood finding a nice harmony. Ends a bit acidic. No rush to drink up. Wish they still made it this way.
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To start with this wine has thrown a dose of sediment so decanter carefully wash the bottle let it breath and stick the unused back in the bottle. A complex nose of fruit/oak and alcohol The wine is dark heavy bodied, the fruit is large and long and soft.
January 2017
I have had to revise my rating. I opened a second bottle and it was nothing like the first. It tended to be stringent with alcohol and slightly out of balance . No velvet smoothness with this one. I let it breath and decantered it removing the sediment but still no improvement. Bottle variation to this extent is something you don't want in a wine so its down to 92 points for this one from my original 96. I just hope the rest are better than this as I will mark it down further. February 217 The more i drink it the less I like it. That bottle variance plus the heavy sediment is starting to loose me. I am pretty sure its all down hill from here ,so if you have this in your cellar drink it now. The alcohol is starting to smell like methylated spirits and the wine is clearly out of balance as the other flavours are being killed off.
Intense mint and wood in the nose. Chocolate mint and a bit of bitter coffee on the tongue. Long, blackberry finish. The wine evolves additional layers of depth and opens up nicely over a couple of hours in the glass. One of the Marquis' better and more long-lasting efforts from that era. Very different from their modern fruit bombs at Mollydooker.
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I was really looking forward to this based on reviews, but its not quite my style. The mouth feel is voluptuously silky, and it is inky black and dense- all qualities I look for in red wine. But the flavor, and scent, is highly dominated by stewed prunes. Its not a taste profile I care for, but for others it might be interesting.
Update: Night 2- Flavor is just downright strange. Remainder went down the drain. I don't think this bottle was damaged, so probably it is past its window.
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Good....however: a little one dimensional with the red fruit and alcohol. That being said, that red fruit was a very nice melange of cherries, plums and raisins. Mellow wine, but still a little on the hot side. A bit of dry spice and vanilla, and I've a feeling not much time left before it falls apart into a mess. Though a couple of years ago it may have been just too sweet. This was definitely sweet, fairly out of balance.
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One of the best wines I have had. Fantastic length. Mocca and chocolate on the palate. Lots of dark fruit. Cork came out almost black but intact. Amazing nose upon opening which moved to a slight barnyard after one hour. Raisin and fig emerged also after 1 hour. Tasted hot so the 16.0% alcohol was not a surprise. A BBQ rib-eye would have been fantastic with it.
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Agree with recent notes - drinking well and probably at/just past peak. Rich and yet mellowed fruit, fine-grained tannins most resolved, lovely with lamb
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Big, rich, super-ripe wine which - as EX-RAY writes - has a touch of raisin-prune that suggests it's time to start drinking up. A touch too much heat on the finish for my palate, though. Regardless, pretty darned good.
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Still very dark and opaque. Very aromatic, typical shiraz with oak notes. Still very full-bodied, typical of Sarah and Sparky, with mouth-coating dense fruit, nicely balanced, with a long, slightly sweet aftertaste. It has softened a bit with age but is still very big, though not tannic. There's a touch of raisin-prune, so I think it's time to enjoy these. Ric
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What a big beautiful Shiraz. Pop and Pour. This wine is inky black. HUGE nose with dark fruits, licorice, graphite and earth notes. On the palate pepper spice, garrigue, blackberry and other dark fruits. Even with 16% alcohol the wine was in balance with everything integrated and working together. Long finish with a bit of alcohol noticeable but not distracting. I would say this wine will drink well for at least three more years but I am not sure it will get any better. If you have them I would be drinking them. Sadly this is my last bottle of this gem. This wine was a screaming bargain at less than $40 per.
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Magnificent... will update later... just drinking now
so I originally rated this a 95 but on 2nd thoughts that is was too high for what is a big quirky wine that many people will find to be too "hot" and well unusual... HUGE ALCOHOL AND tannins hide behind a purple squid ink and pepper mask... really hot upper end and long fruity finish... will cellar for another 10-20 years but at what cost.... I doubt if the fruit / alcohol range will change much... perhaps the most unusual South Aussie Shiraz I have ever tasted
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Very dark purple. Very hot bouquet that obscured further description. Mouth-puckering tannins indicate this could easily age another 10 years. Notes of blueberry concentrate mixed with a touch of coffee grinds and prunes. Comes off as quite hot, which, given the 16% ABV, is no surprise. Fair wine, but I wouldn't buy again.
A somewhat poorer showing than my last experiences with the wine. Like the other reviewer, these bottles came from the same auction having been stored in bond since import. Perhaps the storage was a little less perfect. Vast alcohol (16%) but I think it is in balance despite that. Sweet and heady. Eucalyptus, menthol, leather and deep dark fruit. Benefits hugely from a vigoros decant/shake-up with plenty of air. If you're not looking for a kind of ultra-rich and sweet style then this won't be your thing: there is nothing graceful or refreshing about this wine; it doens't speak that language.
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bought at auction in july 12. this wine had apparently been stored in bond since import into UK. very high alcohol and nothing to commend it, poured down sink. Another bottle given as gift to my brother went the same way.
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(Cabin with Just, Ads, Geoff, Elaine, Chintz, Lisa & Jord, with Mich&Bo!) A monster of a wine at 16%, this had a most quizzical nose: fried onions, burnt rubber tyre, asphalt, dark plums, black forest cake, even nail polish. Heaps of dried plums, raisins, died apricots, savory eucalypt menthols, ending on an eternally long finish. So much stuff going on - quite sophisticated, really - one really doesn't notice the heat. Shudders! Enjoyable in a quaint and perverse way, and only if you don't intend to drink anything else after.
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A great seduction routine! Decanted throjgh a seive and colander thing intoa decanter and left c 30 mins. Eucalyptus, mint (loads), cassis, sweat, jam. Massive palate of deep, sweet fruit. Haunting herbal aftertaste caressing the tongue. Ultra-Shiraz. Fine balance and some complexity. Delicious and more delicious. Reminded me a little of Classic Clare from Leasingham.
So, a black velvet sheet, laid out on a starlit night, with rare spices scattered on the embers of a dying fire, fresh dark fruits still warm from the day's heat, consumed on a hot night with the scent of eucalypts wafting on the torrid air.
I've possibly overrated this, but you know how it is when the company is right, the light is right, the food is right and the hour is right........
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Dense, inky black. Opulent dark fruits, late blueberries, cracked pepper, leather, barnyard, and even a hint of acetone/formaldehyde. Incredibly lush and textural - oily, even. Dense concentrated fruits, but not jammy, showing clean classy layers of transparency. Silky tannins and very fresh, crisp acidity (the kind which makes the sides of your cheek salivate immediately). Good impresions of beef stock, dark spices, cocoa powder, vanilla and yet more barnyard smells on the finish. Hot, definitely (16%!), but the tightly controlled balance and intensity is pretty impressive in itself. A HUGE yet sophisticated wine, rivaling some of the meanest Zins i've had - not sure I like it, but memorable if anything.
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Dark purple. Very hot on the nose with a chemical smell. It also has a strong chemical taste mixed with black fruits and cocoa. The chocolate and chemical taste stand out on the finish. This might be the result of a fungal cork or something. Unimpressive for the $44 price tag - I have two more bottles and really hope that this one was simply corked.
After...and NOT before..36 hours on the counter-top, this wine improved dramatically. The odd chemical smell on the nose remained intact along with the heat. It still tasted a bit hot, but the chemical taste mostly faded to be replaced by blueberry, coffee, and sweet blackberry. A very interesting evolution, much delayed, that made me change the score from a 72 to a 85. This still may have been a fungal issue that faded with time.
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Distinctive nose of bay leaf and black pepper. All spice and no fruit in the nose. Tasty red and black fruits in the mouth with loads of spice. Tastes like a spiced wine. Half way to a Chinato! Over time, it's showing some dark licorice and high alcohol. This is a mess for a 7-year-old Syrah. Maybe it needs more time?
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Absolutely stellar bottle -- great fruit and a focused, sublime explosion on the palate. Wish I had more, but glad to have shared with friends on NYE 2010.
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It appears that my wines, all of which I import directly, have been very well stored. Specifically in this case, the wine has matured beautifully and is at its peak. None of the decay that others mention is to be observed. Another indication that buying and enjoying wine is highly dependent on identifiable provenance, good storage (the right temperature, humidity and the absence of light) in order to deliver through a long time window. Taste wise the bottle was consistent with my previous notes and I observe a maximum variation of 1 point between bottles of the same case.
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Full berry bouquet on nose and palate. A wonderful wine, equalling if not surpassing the 2001 and 2002 vintages which were sublime. A full bodied, in your face wine that will make look for more bottles of this nectar at your local wine shop. Alas you will not find them.
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A large-scaled nose of spicy, dark fruits, licorice, charcoal, camphor and honeysuckle. Oddly sharp and tangy on the palate. Bitterly acidic. Too much so to continue drinking. Capped and set aside. (NR)
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took to a mag shiraz dinner, most perfered the Cali style not this big Aussie, my wotn, big flavors, fresh and direct, dark and rich, many years of life left
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Great wine, big burst of blue fruit, cherry, followed by spice and tobacco. Long, long finish. Balanced and well integrated now; drinking beautifully. Same taste profile on day 2.
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Still slightly tannic. Probably too young, and needs to be decanted for a few hours right now. Good berry profile but nothing like the amazing 2001 reserve.
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What a great Shiraz this is -- this is a GREAT value Aussie Shiraz and one I will continue to buy!!! It bursts on the nose with ripe berries but the taste is complex and silky with good strong fresh respberries but with a touch of tobacco and earthiness. It is extermely complex and the flavors linger for what seems like minutes. Great wine!
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Rated for what it is... an Aussie Shiraz and a great one at that. Yes it has a bit of heat, but superb fruit, nice balanced sweet tannins and a moderate finish in a slightly aoky frame. A well rounded wine which makes one ask..... did I drink it too early? I think given time this wine would become a bit more elegant and integrated, but I really enjoyed it!
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Blackberries, eucalyptus and pepper. Very noticeable oak that could be integrated better. Some mid palate complexity with nice acidity. Rich, concentrated finish. Not tiring to drink. 16.0% alcohol and not showing any sign of it. Nice wine.
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Dark purple color. On the palate, this was a pretty intense wine which mellowed slightly with the 30 minute or so decanting. Could have used more decanting, or more importantly more time in the bottle (this is not your grandmother's Shiraz!). Intense blackberry and clove with green grass undertones, spicey. Inky intense flavors running a bit on the wild side. Did I mention intense? Lots of sediment.
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Our New Year’s day family tradition is the all-weather BBQ – this year rainy & unseasonably mild in the Garden State. Picked the 03 HD Reserve Shiraz to complement filet mignon (with sautéed mushrooms, baked potato & peas). Decanted for 1 hour before dinner…an initially meaty aroma gave way to faint menthol over time. We poured before serving dinner…deep, dark maroon…big fruity cherry/berry flavors and a nice long lingering finish. My wife though it a bit too hot & heavy by itself, but when paired with a medium-rare filet & Peter Luger steak sauce this was awesome (she agreed). All-in-all a good choice for dinner.
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Dark purple color, with a heady nose. The nose was much beefier than I was expecting - after an initial blast of wintergreen, it was definitely Syrah notes, but kind of amped up. On the palate, this was a pretty intense wine that will benefit from at least an hour or two of decanting at this point, or a couple years in the bottle to calm down. Intense blackberry and clove flavors dominated this bottle, along with teriyaki. I think there are some other flavors developing in the background, and that this wine has some pretty good potential. Score based on drinking today, I'm guessing it's got a couple more in its future.
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I have just finished a bottle of the '03 on night two of two . . . thick fresh velvet plumbs, ripe late season blueberries as they are found on the tundra north of Denali (yea, I know, who knows what THEY taste like – well, taste this!), brooding ripe raspberries, blackberry liquor, essence of graphite mixed with birch smoke and wet rocks . . . good grief! Finish lasting a looooong time, I am shocked at the voluptuous manner in which this wine presents itself. Oh yea, there is a lot of sediment in this bottle.
I am off to an overseas trip for a while where I will be subjected to sequential nights of the best Europe has to offer . . . somehow I know I’ll miss my HDRs.
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Deep, dark color, almost totally black...needs decanting....coconut milk/curry on the nose at one point...just cannot be inholed...all about the fruit...intense-
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Very dark letting no light through, spices and stewed fruit on the nose, pumpkin pie spices mostly nutmeg and baked fruit allmost liqueur like. this wine coats the tongue like oil, with a slight tangy/sour finish, i'm left wondering where this wine is going?
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Blackberry color. Very grapey nose, like a port. Extraordinarily distinctive and memorable. Fiery grape/port character in an unfortified wine. Sensational. How would you pair it? Serve with Duck or BBQ Pork?
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1/30/2022 - SimonHo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red rust with hints of brown. Complex nose of ripe fruits, caramelised chocolate. Alcoholic lace on the glass reflecting the 16% alcohol. Ripe blood plums, supple full body powerful Shiraz, distant hint of liquorice. Lingering after taste of blackberries well balanced acidity.
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10/10/2020 - atbarbar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Kept in random places, not temperature controlled. Color is dark red quite brown on the rim. Nose is black olive and dried herbs. On the palate is dense, very dense with velvety fully developed tannins. There is fruit (mostly plum) in addition to olives and dried herbs and some tobacco and very evident graphite. Surprising (at least to me, never tried this producer) acidity that keeps in balance this thick wine. Fully integrated at peak drink now but can hold for another 4 years at least given the bright acidity. Long aftertaste with some balsamic notes.
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12/26/2019 - SimonHo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red with plummy nose. Alcohol laces on glass. Full body Shiraz with well balanced tannins. Smooth bold dark fruits with supple spice.
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11/8/2019 - Lobonick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow. Beautiful wine. Creamy texture, fruit, and tertiary notes are all strong. Red fruit, nutmeg, mustard seed, toffee, and an ashy earthiness on the nose. Palate is very creamy with velvety and sweet motes. Beautiful wine. Long finish too.
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10/5/2019 - SimonHo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red full body Shiraz with red and black plum spice. Long after taste
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1/23/2019 - SimonHo Likes this wine: 92 Points
A full body Shiraz with dark plum, spice and hint of liquorice. Stayed well for this vintage and should have a few several more years to go.
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4/11/2018 - Barry G Likes this wine: 93 Points
Seriously spicy, full on and big... still
black fruit maintained by fully integrated tannin. Some menthol notes, leathery and warming.
Sit and savour with friends if you have to.
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12/17/2017 - LJCarroll Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Separation of flavors. Structure integrity lost. Port sherry flavors and watery middle. Tannic alcohol bite.
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1/2/2017 - salcorn wrote: 94 Points
Always a crowd pleaser, and aging into a very balanced wine, with big fruit and rough wood finding a nice harmony. Ends a bit acidic. No rush to drink up. Wish they still made it this way.
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12/21/2016 - Eric gene Noack wrote: 88 Points
To start with this wine has thrown a dose of sediment so decanter carefully wash the bottle let it breath and stick the unused back in the bottle.
A complex nose of fruit/oak and alcohol
The wine is dark heavy bodied, the fruit is large and long and soft.
January 2017
I have had to revise my rating.
I opened a second bottle and it was nothing like the first.
It tended to be stringent with alcohol and slightly out of balance .
No velvet smoothness with this one.
I let it breath and decantered it removing the sediment but still no improvement.
Bottle variation to this extent is something you don't want in a wine so its down to 92 points for this one from my original 96.
I just hope the rest are better than this as I will mark it down further.
February 217
The more i drink it the less I like it.
That bottle variance plus the heavy sediment is starting to loose me.
I am pretty sure its all down hill from here ,so if you have this in your cellar drink it now. The alcohol is starting to smell like methylated spirits and the wine is clearly out of balance as the other flavours are being killed off.
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11/11/2016 - Tgarthe Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Upon opening I got plenty of hay and leather on the nose before it turned quite pugnant.
It improved after an hour or so, although prune was evident throughout.
Was ok on the palate, didn't feel like it had much body, although the long finish was there.
Think it had just fallen apart a little too much. Purchased from graysonline, so unsure of cellaring conditions.
Will try again soon.
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9/16/2016 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Shiraz that is not over the top with alcohol and fruit.
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8/15/2016 - salcorn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Intense mint and wood in the nose. Chocolate mint and a bit of bitter coffee on the tongue. Long, blackberry finish. The wine evolves additional layers of depth and opens up nicely over a couple of hours in the glass. One of the Marquis' better and more long-lasting efforts from that era. Very different from their modern fruit bombs at Mollydooker.
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6/26/2016 - ElSol Does not like this wine: 84 Points
I was really looking forward to this based on reviews, but its not quite my style. The mouth feel is voluptuously silky, and it is inky black and dense- all qualities I look for in red wine. But the flavor, and scent, is highly dominated by stewed prunes. Its not a taste profile I care for, but for others it might be interesting.
Update: Night 2- Flavor is just downright strange. Remainder went down the drain. I don't think this bottle was damaged, so probably it is past its window.
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5/24/2016 - Renot wrote: flawed
Corked unfortunately...
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2/28/2016 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good....however: a little one dimensional with the red fruit and alcohol. That being said, that red fruit was a very nice melange of cherries, plums and raisins. Mellow wine, but still a little on the hot side. A bit of dry spice and vanilla, and I've a feeling not much time left before it falls apart into a mess. Though a couple of years ago it may have been just too sweet. This was definitely sweet, fairly out of balance.
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12/23/2015 - salcorn wrote: 94 Points
Much more vanilla than previous bottles. Holding up extremely well. Great acid balance. Black fruits, intense minty nose.
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12/22/2015 - Angle Gold Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the best wines I have had. Fantastic length. Mocca and chocolate on the palate. Lots of dark fruit. Cork came out almost black but intact. Amazing nose upon opening which moved to a slight barnyard after one hour. Raisin and fig emerged also after 1 hour. Tasted hot so the 16.0% alcohol was not a surprise. A BBQ rib-eye would have been fantastic with it.
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5/31/2015 - zoeldar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with recent notes - drinking well and probably at/just past peak. Rich and yet mellowed fruit, fine-grained tannins most resolved, lovely with lamb
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3/8/2015 - peterk wrote: 91 Points
Big, rich, super-ripe wine which - as EX-RAY writes - has a touch of raisin-prune that suggests it's time to start drinking up. A touch too much heat on the finish for my palate, though. Regardless, pretty darned good.
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2/13/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very dark and opaque. Very aromatic, typical shiraz with oak notes. Still very full-bodied, typical of Sarah and Sparky, with mouth-coating dense fruit, nicely balanced, with a long, slightly sweet aftertaste. It has softened a bit with age but is still very big, though not tannic. There's a touch of raisin-prune, so I think it's time to enjoy these.
Ric
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12/13/2014 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great, had with freinds
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12/7/2014 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unnn-believeable!!!
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10/7/2014 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a big beautiful Shiraz. Pop and Pour. This wine is inky black. HUGE nose with dark fruits, licorice, graphite and earth notes. On the palate pepper spice, garrigue, blackberry and other dark fruits. Even with 16% alcohol the wine was in balance with everything integrated and working together. Long finish with a bit of alcohol noticeable but not distracting. I would say this wine will drink well for at least three more years but I am not sure it will get any better. If you have them I would be drinking them. Sadly this is my last bottle of this gem. This wine was a screaming bargain at less than $40 per.
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5/5/2014 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous reviews.
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1/13/2014 - dogsbrekky Likes this wine: 90 Points
Magnificent... will update later... just drinking now
so I originally rated this a 95 but on 2nd thoughts that is was too high for what is a big quirky wine that many people will find to be too "hot" and well unusual... HUGE ALCOHOL AND tannins hide behind a purple squid ink and pepper mask... really hot upper end and long fruity finish... will cellar for another 10-20 years but at what cost.... I doubt if the fruit / alcohol range will change much... perhaps the most unusual South Aussie Shiraz I have ever tasted
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3/21/2013 - themki wrote: 96 Points
Lush dark fruit, leather, barnyard taste and aroma, all cooled down by eucalyptus - unique and haunting. Drink now.
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12/2/2012 - TexasBob wrote: 88 Points
Very dark purple. Very hot bouquet that obscured further description. Mouth-puckering tannins indicate this could easily age another 10 years. Notes of blueberry concentrate mixed with a touch of coffee grinds and prunes. Comes off as quite hot, which, given the 16% ABV, is no surprise. Fair wine, but I wouldn't buy again.
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10/14/2012 - Rob-Rah wrote: 90 Points
A somewhat poorer showing than my last experiences with the wine. Like the other reviewer, these bottles came from the same auction having been stored in bond since import. Perhaps the storage was a little less perfect. Vast alcohol (16%) but I think it is in balance despite that. Sweet and heady. Eucalyptus, menthol, leather and deep dark fruit. Benefits hugely from a vigoros decant/shake-up with plenty of air. If you're not looking for a kind of ultra-rich and sweet style then this won't be your thing: there is nothing graceful or refreshing about this wine; it doens't speak that language.
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10/12/2012 - chris149uk wrote: flawed
bought at auction in july 12. this wine had apparently been stored in bond since import into UK. very high alcohol and nothing to commend it, poured down sink. Another bottle given as gift to my brother went the same way.
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7/29/2012 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank with Friends
Nose of mint, eucalyptus, red berries, tobacco and vanilla. This is really strong in fact I think its maybe too strong and you do notice the 16% Alc.
It is lovely tasting stuff but it really is a beast
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7/15/2012 - JerM wrote: 93 Points
(Cabin with Just, Ads, Geoff, Elaine, Chintz, Lisa & Jord, with Mich&Bo!) A monster of a wine at 16%, this had a most quizzical nose: fried onions, burnt rubber tyre, asphalt, dark plums, black forest cake, even nail polish. Heaps of dried plums, raisins, died apricots, savory eucalypt menthols, ending on an eternally long finish. So much stuff going on - quite sophisticated, really - one really doesn't notice the heat. Shudders! Enjoyable in a quaint and perverse way, and only if you don't intend to drink anything else after.
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6/22/2012 - Rob-Rah wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Another bottle hot on the heels. Still fantastic. Need a little air really to bing out the best. 92+
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6/18/2012 - Rob-Rah wrote: 95 Points
A great seduction routine! Decanted throjgh a seive and colander thing intoa decanter and left c 30 mins. Eucalyptus, mint (loads), cassis, sweat, jam. Massive palate of deep, sweet fruit. Haunting herbal aftertaste caressing the tongue. Ultra-Shiraz. Fine balance and some complexity. Delicious and more delicious. Reminded me a little of Classic Clare from Leasingham.
So, a black velvet sheet, laid out on a starlit night, with rare spices scattered on the embers of a dying fire, fresh dark fruits still warm from the day's heat, consumed on a hot night with the scent of eucalypts wafting on the torrid air.
I've possibly overrated this, but you know how it is when the company is right, the light is right, the food is right and the hour is right........
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5/23/2012 - JerM wrote: 93 Points
Dense, inky black. Opulent dark fruits, late blueberries, cracked pepper, leather, barnyard, and even a hint of acetone/formaldehyde. Incredibly lush and textural - oily, even. Dense concentrated fruits, but not jammy, showing clean classy layers of transparency. Silky tannins and very fresh, crisp acidity (the kind which makes the sides of your cheek salivate immediately). Good impresions of beef stock, dark spices, cocoa powder, vanilla and yet more barnyard smells on the finish. Hot, definitely (16%!), but the tightly controlled balance and intensity is pretty impressive in itself. A HUGE yet sophisticated wine, rivaling some of the meanest Zins i've had - not sure I like it, but memorable if anything.
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5/15/2012 - salcorn wrote: 92 Points
Big fruit, peppery nose, mint
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3/18/2012 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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2/5/2012 - salcorn wrote: 92 Points
Mint, chocolate, black fruits, vanilla
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1/29/2012 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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10/30/2011 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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6/21/2011 - skifree wrote:
Definitely a Shiraz, with some blue fruits, plum/prune, meat, and spice. Long finish. Seemed to be at its peak.
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6/11/2011 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes, a great wine.
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6/11/2011 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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5/7/2011 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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4/24/2011 - TexasBob wrote: 85 Points
Dark purple. Very hot on the nose with a chemical smell. It also has a strong chemical taste mixed with black fruits and cocoa. The chocolate and chemical taste stand out on the finish. This might be the result of a fungal cork or something. Unimpressive for the $44 price tag - I have two more bottles and really hope that this one was simply corked.
After...and NOT before..36 hours on the counter-top, this wine improved dramatically. The odd chemical smell on the nose remained intact along with the heat. It still tasted a bit hot, but the chemical taste mostly faded to be replaced by blueberry, coffee, and sweet blackberry. A very interesting evolution, much delayed, that made me change the score from a 72 to a 85. This still may have been a fungal issue that faded with time.
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1/30/2011 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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1/10/2011 - kenv wrote:
Distinctive nose of bay leaf and black pepper. All spice and no fruit in the nose. Tasty red and black fruits in the mouth with loads of spice. Tastes like a spiced wine. Half way to a Chinato! Over time, it's showing some dark licorice and high alcohol. This is a mess for a 7-year-old Syrah. Maybe it needs more time?
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1/1/2011 - Bluffan wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely stellar bottle -- great fruit and a focused, sublime explosion on the palate. Wish I had more, but glad to have shared with friends on NYE 2010.
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12/17/2010 - salcorn wrote: 92 Points
Mint, chocolate, black fruits, vanilla finish, holding up nicely.
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10/18/2010 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes. A beautifully balanced wine in its prime.
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7/28/2010 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
It appears that my wines, all of which I import directly, have been very well stored. Specifically in this case, the wine has matured beautifully and is at its peak. None of the decay that others mention is to be observed. Another indication that buying and enjoying wine is highly dependent on identifiable provenance, good storage (the right temperature, humidity and the absence of light) in order to deliver through a long time window. Taste wise the bottle was consistent with my previous notes and I observe a maximum variation of 1 point between bottles of the same case.
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7/24/2010 - michelvl wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my previous review
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5/18/2010 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes.
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5/3/2010 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous note.
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2/27/2010 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
Full berry bouquet on nose and palate. A wonderful wine, equalling if not surpassing the 2001 and 2002 vintages which were sublime. A full bodied, in your face wine that will make look for more bottles of this nectar at your local wine shop. Alas you will not find them.
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12/26/2009 - salcorn wrote: 90 Points
Jammy, black fruits, cinnamon, chocolate, somewhat acidic off balance finish, not drinking as well as it was a few years ago. Throwing some sediment.
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9/28/2009 - Moorese wrote: flawed
A large-scaled nose of spicy, dark fruits, licorice, charcoal, camphor and honeysuckle. Oddly sharp and tangy on the palate. Bitterly acidic. Too much so to continue drinking. Capped and set aside. (NR)
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9/3/2009 - shadow wrote: 95 Points
took to a mag shiraz dinner, most perfered the Cali style not this big Aussie, my wotn, big flavors, fresh and direct, dark and rich, many years of life left
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5/30/2009 - skifree wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, big burst of blue fruit, cherry, followed by spice and tobacco. Long, long finish. Balanced and well integrated now; drinking beautifully. Same taste profile on day 2.
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5/23/2009 - jsherdc wrote: 91 Points
Still slightly tannic. Probably too young, and needs to be decanted for a few hours right now. Good berry profile but nothing like the amazing 2001 reserve.
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2/7/2009 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 94 Points
What a great Shiraz this is -- this is a GREAT value Aussie Shiraz and one I will continue to buy!!! It bursts on the nose with ripe berries but the taste is complex and silky with good strong fresh respberries but with a touch of tobacco and earthiness. It is extermely complex and the flavors linger for what seems like minutes. Great wine!
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12/14/2008 - salcorn wrote: 92 Points
big fruit, herbaceous and minerals, meat, smoke
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11/20/2007 - E wrote: 94 Points
This wine has really evolved...no longer a fruit bomb...sublimating into something tamer...etoh diminishing, nooverwhelming oak...superb stuff
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10/16/2007 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this surprised me. Great, smooth dark red fruits, good 20+ finish.
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8/17/2007 - bprosenberg wrote: 92 Points
Rich and powerful Aussie Shiraz. Syrupy, with blackberry and some spice.
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7/29/2007 - gzim wrote: 94 Points
Rated for what it is... an Aussie Shiraz and a great one at that. Yes it has a bit of heat, but superb fruit, nice balanced sweet tannins and a moderate finish in a slightly aoky frame. A well rounded wine which makes one ask..... did I drink it too early? I think given time this wine would become a bit more elegant and integrated, but I really enjoyed it!
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4/8/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Blackberries, eucalyptus and pepper. Very noticeable oak that could be integrated better. Some mid palate complexity with nice acidity. Rich, concentrated finish. Not tiring to drink. 16.0% alcohol and not showing any sign of it. Nice wine.
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2/5/2007 - du Beaune wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple color. On the palate, this was a pretty intense wine which mellowed slightly with the 30 minute or so decanting. Could have used more decanting, or more importantly more time in the bottle (this is not your grandmother's Shiraz!). Intense blackberry and clove with green grass undertones, spicey. Inky intense flavors running a bit on the wild side. Did I mention intense? Lots of sediment.
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1/1/2007 - docsdoc wrote: 92 Points
Our New Year’s day family tradition is the all-weather BBQ – this year rainy & unseasonably mild in the Garden State. Picked the 03 HD Reserve Shiraz to complement filet mignon (with sautéed mushrooms, baked potato & peas). Decanted for 1 hour before dinner…an initially meaty aroma gave way to faint menthol over time. We poured before serving dinner…deep, dark maroon…big fruity cherry/berry flavors and a nice long lingering finish. My wife though it a bit too hot & heavy by itself, but when paired with a medium-rare filet & Peter Luger steak sauce this was awesome (she agreed). All-in-all a good choice for dinner.
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12/30/2006 - BailliSacks wrote: 85 Points
A heavy fruit bomb.
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12/3/2006 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Excellent fruit and structure.
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12/2/2006 - PathDoc wrote:
Black cherry rubbing alcohol that singed my esphagus as it went down. Hopefully it'll be better on day 2.
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8/14/2006 - E wrote: 94 Points
So good
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7/14/2006 - E wrote: 90 Points
This bottle disappointed without any obvious flaw.
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4/19/2006 - MarkC wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color, with a heady nose. The nose was much beefier than I was expecting - after an initial blast of wintergreen, it was definitely Syrah notes, but kind of amped up. On the palate, this was a pretty intense wine that will benefit from at least an hour or two of decanting at this point, or a couple years in the bottle to calm down. Intense blackberry and clove flavors dominated this bottle, along with teriyaki. I think there are some other flavors developing in the background, and that this wine has some pretty good potential. Score based on drinking today, I'm guessing it's got a couple more in its future.
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11/27/2005 - E wrote: 95 Points
Again, strong coconut milk note at midpoint (1 1/2 hours post decanting). Lots of sediment, big Aussie fruit BOMB
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11/11/2005 - RSheldon wrote: 97 Points
I have just finished a bottle of the '03 on night two of two . . . thick fresh velvet plumbs, ripe late season blueberries as they are found on the tundra north of Denali (yea, I know, who knows what THEY taste like – well, taste this!), brooding ripe raspberries, blackberry liquor, essence of graphite mixed with birch smoke and wet rocks . . . good grief! Finish lasting a looooong time, I am shocked at the voluptuous manner in which this wine presents itself. Oh yea, there is a lot of sediment in this bottle.
I am off to an overseas trip for a while where I will be subjected to sequential nights of the best Europe has to offer . . . somehow I know I’ll miss my HDRs.
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10/8/2005 - E wrote: 95 Points
Deep, dark color, almost totally black...needs decanting....coconut milk/curry on the nose at one point...just cannot be inholed...all about the fruit...intense-
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7/15/2005 - AstonM wrote: 88 Points
Very dark letting no light through, spices and stewed fruit on the nose, pumpkin pie spices mostly nutmeg and baked fruit allmost liqueur like.
this wine coats the tongue like oil, with a slight tangy/sour finish, i'm left wondering where this wine is going?
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4/15/2005 - PVCC wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry color. Very grapey nose, like a port. Extraordinarily distinctive and memorable. Fiery grape/port character in an unfortified wine. Sensational. How would you pair it? Serve with Duck or BBQ Pork?
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