Based on the recommended drinking window I was expecting this to be past its best, but it was delicious and could have gone a few more years. Still fresh and vibrant but with the added complexity of 19 years in bottle. I regret taking this to a neighbours house, didn’t have a decent glass and I wasnt able to get some needed alone time with this wine.
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This Syrah is almost perfect. It is filled with dark berries, vanilla and a touch of earth. It sounds sweet, but it was neither cloying or heavy in the least. Just a brilliant, velvety mouthfeel and a 30 second finish.
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Brilliant Barossa and gorgeous Greenock. Hedonistically ripe fruit of the spirit of this Holy land, these sacred undulating hills and blessed fruit.
Beautifully aged, epochal, numbing the confines of immediately reality, though an abundance of tannin to remind you it's from the earth while the mid palate haunts through the ages.
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Opened my last bottle tonight expecting to be a little disappointed. Thankfully i was wrong. Although this wine is not at the level of 5 years ago it is still really good but in a different way. Still shows a great nose of blueberry and spice.The killer dark fruit profile has receded somewhat but while there is still adequate fruit the wine has developed great secondary notes of leather and cedar. The finish is still quite long with some black pepper and spice notes. This has been a great wine and if you still have it i would enjoy over the next year or two. Think i probably underrated it in my previous notes.
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Tannins have all resolved. Plum, blackcurrant, pepper and cedar. My preference would have been to drink it a few years ago as some of the fruit flavour has gone. Still a lovely wine.
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The youth on this wine was incredible. I simply cannot imagine drinking this one too much earlier than what we did. The nose was so complex....floral, ripe black fruit, hint of nitrogen. Entry was dark, full bodied ripe black fruit and fig. The middle turned darker. Finished with dominance. Lots of black pepper. Tannins were soft and had resolved for the most part. This one was ready to kick ass and take names. The 2006-2017 drinking window on this wine is completely off.
I really enjoyed this although my wife (who loves Oz wines) wasn't impressed. Inky purple. Decent nose. A huge second fermentation going on that fades with about 2 hrs of a decant. Rich black and blue fruit. Complex. Very long teeth staining finish but not an over the top wine.
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Popped & Poured. Consistent with previous TN from several years ago but doesn't require a lengthy decant any longer. Beautiful, elegant Shiraz that has aged really well and is still in it's prime drinking window.
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Wow ... this is good. Didn't really have many expectations for this bottle as it was from a so called weaker Barossa vintage and follows the fantastic initial 2002 release. Not much on the nose but on first tasting well-balanced came straight to mind. Plenty of up-front black fruit married nicely with a flavoursome tannic, drying finish ... that lasts. Definitely a full bodied style of wine, but has a quality behind it that makes you want to refill your glass. RP said this could be one of the leading candidates for Barossa's "Shiraz of the Vintage" and according to this bottle he may just be right! Drinking well now but no need to rush ... well cellared bottles should last for at least another 10 or so years. For $35/bottle on release, that is real bang for your buck.
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Similar to the last bottle... Plums, some cedar, spice on the nose. Concentrated and still a bit jammy on the palate, but with smooth integrated tannins and great length. Excellent with the BBQ food we had for Christmas-eve dinner!
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Dinner @ YW's place (Chez YW): Decanted. A very very well-made wine. Wonderful nose - Creamy, milky, vanilla. Oak regime must've been very well handled. This is a full-bodied wine. Initially I had thought the Deux Freres would overpower it, but it held its ground. Velvety tannins well integrated with the fruit, giving it a good length. The only snag is that the fruit still appears a tad sweet - 2 glasses or more, and it started to feel "jelat". Am certainly curious to see how this will turn out with another 5-10 yrs of cellar time...
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An excellent bottle of wine. Deep ruby/purple hues. Decanted over 90 minutes. Very good complex fruit with mild residual tannins. Good finish. Still drinking well. Might convince me to get back into Oz wines.
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Decanted about 90 minutes. Nice inky purple. Alcohol and tannins bery muted. Fruit deep and rich but not bold. Very nice finish. Bold but not in your face.
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I think this wine is underrated. It was the star of our evening of fine wines. Not as fruit forward as most shirazs , but soft tannins, black berries, elegant finish.
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This ten year old was delicious with osso bucco. Dark fruit, earth, spice. Beautiful balance. Small amount of drying tannin in the finish. Drink or hold
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Aussie night!!! (J&B Cellar): Tasted blind alongside three other great wines. My blind notes: Nose - muted fruit, Flintstone vitamin, cooked meat Mouth - Thick, rich, decadent. Abundant dark fruit, chewy fine tannins. Long finish. Rated 2/4 in this flight. (WA 96-100)
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Peppery bouquet, herbs, thyme - like opening a spice box. On the palate sweet caramel, but not overripe, more pepper, cassis. Not hot despite 15.5 per cent. alcohol. Drinking very well but has lots of life left.
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Lovely Barossa shiraz. Concentrated, soft with great length and a really interesting saltiness that works really well. Terrific balance and a structure that will allow this to age gracefully for some time yet. It does perform better after some air and holds its shape over 2-3 days without falling away.
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Not what I was hoping for. Still tannic with smoke, vanilla, sweet fruits and a buttery note. This needs more time and hopefully will come around. Drink from 2015 to 2020. 90-92 On seeing my previous note I should have drank this on day 3.
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Decanted for 24 hours after shaking the bottle like an idiot... which you need to do, as this beast is spritzy like hell.
Anyway, this was so much more pleasant than the one that has not been decanted for so long the day before. Round, classic Barossa notes, blood, full bodied yet balanced. Really nice...
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Random wines at Martin's house (Martin Rickenbach): This is spritzy, like a Lambrusco. I had this with some 2007 CdP but never with an Auzzie. It's not too bad, just pop the cork, pour half a glass put the cork back on and then shake it (really well), take the cork off again, put it back on and then shake it again once or twice.
Before doing that it has a very nice nose with cherry, burnt rubber, licorice. But then it goes downhill and it is very thin on the palate.
After the shake it has a different appearance: much more power in the palate, but also a different type of nose. I think it needs to be shaken and then decanted for 12 hours or so.
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Obvious heat damage as wine seeped through cork. Spritzy like the last bottle, but otherwise pretty good. Opaque purple, big concentration, ripe fruit showing intensity, and a med long finish.
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A lot of chocolate and menthol in the bouquet as well as on the palate. Very concentrated and sweet, but also elegance thanks to the fresh acidity. Dark fruits and pleasant oak. Ready now; no hurry.
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Nose of soy sauce, pepper, spices and dark fruits. On the palate a heat and more earth elements than fruit. Medium finish. I will wait a day and see if this improves to review it.
Day Two: The heat has blown off and the nose reveals blueberries, floral, spice and coffee beans. The palate has soften and is showing some nice acidity along with spice, floral, sour cherries, blueberries and minerals. Medium finish and almost refreshing for an Aussie Shiraz. Current Score: 91
Day Three: I always get a kick out of those who only drink French wine or Old World wine and say Aussie Shiraz is bad. Not really what I would call an expert on wine. This wine has transformed and become the wine Parker predicted it would become. Dust, raspberries, tar, white pepper and Asian spices. The palate is showing cassis, raspberries, white pepper and integrated tannins. Medium finish and full of flavor. This wine should be aged for five to ten years and the day 3 experiment once again has proved a winner on a good wine! 95.
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Game and Rhone Tasting @ Peggy's (Villa Reynart, Opoeteren): This one was served as a mystery guest in an extensive Rhone-tasting. Though easily recognisable as a New-World-Shiraz, it certainly rang my bell. Smoky and sultry, blackcherry-jam, vanilla, charcoal, oak starting to integrate. Very tasty and clean, but there is some mid-palate heat and it's slightly drying on the finish. Excellent wine and its length and complexity are certainly above average. 18/20
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To drink this wine is to feel that all is right with the world. Very nice, and impressively crafted. Dark berries, plum, cherry, chocolate, meat juices, mineral. Fine tannins, long finish. 15.5% alcohol but perfectly integrated, perfectly balanced. I strongly recommend drinking this alongside the best piece of beef that you can get your hands on. I drank this with roast wagyu beef, also threw a splash in the gravy. A monumentally tasty pairing.
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No score as bottle was oddly spritzy. I've had this wine before, and it's not supposed to taste like this. It was frizante, which is ok for Lambrusco, but not for Aussie Shirazes (unless they are sold as sparkling Shiraz, which this one isn't)
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Dee p, dark and delicious. No artificial sweeteners here just the right blend of fruit, time and expectation. A wonderful example of how good auzzie shiraz can be if you forego the temptation to be gauzy.
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This wine was hitting on all cylinders tonite. The nose was an exquisite blend of dark ripe cherries, beef blood, and dark bitter chocolate. The body was absolutely beautifully balanced. Perfectly extracted without a hint of being over the top. A blend of dark berries, more chocolate, and a faint hint of smoke or bacon (?). The finish really was the only thing that prevented this wine from achieving a perfect score. Would definitely recommend drinking now as it would seem hard that it could improve with any more age in the bottle. We had this with a home made corn beef hash, grilled zuchinni, and lightly butter grilled soft bread.
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Wow, what an amazing wine. The first thing we all noticed was a big nose of diesel. That nose was muted a bit on the palate but still present. Huge shiraz, with nicely-integrated alcohol. Unfortunately, my only bottle.
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Very interesting wine, high alcohol but very well integrated, lots of fruit cassis, cherry, liquorice and other berries. Evolves well and very ethereal!
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This wine was spritzy, with carbonation evident on the taste. Also, the cork blew out of the half full bottle on the way home. Sweet, syrupy and fat.
On day 3, it was much better. Still a bit spritzy, but long and rich with beautiful intense red fruits and just enough acidity to balance. This is more of a cocktail wine than one made for food. It's good, but not something I want to have very often.
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Very dark red. Almost but not quite embryonic black hole of a shiraz, with woodsy and mineral nuance complementing a steel-spined black fruit core. Massively concentrated but not out of whack, this deserves a respectful, hands-off approach in the cellar.
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Consistent with previous notes with the exception that this bottle was given a loger decant than last time (about 4 hours) and the wine benfited from this. The 15.5% alcohol was nicely contained to the point that it was not really noticeable except for some slight heat on the finish. A really well made Shiraz which is very smooth. Good as it is, it was overshadowed by the superb 2003 Egelhoff Cabernet which we drank alongside it.
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Decanted 2 hours. Nose was initially a touch alcoholic and porty but this gradually blew off to reveal a wonderful blend of ripe dark fruit, black pepper, spice and graphite. On the palate this wine is silky smooth and opulent with a concentrated jammy, dark fruit profile which coats the mouth completely. The finish is long with a little spice and some soft tannins begin to show. Probably the most balanced and elegant Aussie shiraz i have tasted. The 15.5% alcohol only showed on the nose early on. Continued to improve throughout the evening suggesting that this wine will continue to drink extremely well for several more years. For the purists, it is worth noting that it is somewhat one dimensional. However, that single dimension is done extremely well. Tremendous effort, a pleasure to drink and highly recommended.
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This was a huge 15.5% wine that turned silky smooth with integrated Blueberry, tobacco, smoke, plum and a meaty semi sweet chocolate finish. I know this is a Parkerized wine but dam good.
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Started off nice straight out of the bottle. Probably drinking as well as it's going to. The problem I had was that after 45 minutes it began to take on some slightly dead fruit/stewed fruit flavors which made me question the age ability. Not as fresh or bright as it was when younger
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Well made wine with some alcohol that blew off after about a half hour. Great fruit but not enough complexity to merit an extremely high score. Great length but somewhat forgettable. It could use another 3-5 years in bottle but I'm not sure if it will improve significantly.
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1 of 5 flawed VA bottles of aussie wines. These were all the same flaw, and not one was good enough for my awesome Sangria recipe. Others were 2004 S/9, 2002 Avery's Hillside, 2002 Henry's Drive reserve shiraz, 2001 Gumparra old vines.
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15.5% alcohol. Not decanted, but tasted over roughly a three hour period (although it probably would not have budged had I left it out overnight). Dense nose of grilled plums, espresso, smoke, and graphite. On the palate, blueberry and blackberry jam, dark chocolate, smoke, and graphite. No perceptible heat, in part I think because of the intensity of the fruit. Surprisingly, the oak still seem to be fairly present. 89-90 points now, but I think it has the potential to score higher with more time.
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Right out of the glass there was this huge tart acidic tingling sensation that made my wife want to spit it back in the glass. A half an hour later the wine evolves into a much better wine with lots of fruit -- a little jammy for me but great if you like this style.
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Color is dark purple and inky with a bluish rim. Nose shows distinct blueberry overtones with tar and a floral element. On the palate, sweet blueberry, blackberry, and spice meet with good balancing acidity and sweet tannins in this most pleasurable Australian Shiraz. Will probably improve with a few years time...decanted for 2 hours.
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Decanted 1 hour. Nice but slightly subdued nose with Blueberries predominating and a bit of a floral note. Palate is exceedingly smooth and has the illusion of being slightly sweet. Most remarkable characteristic is the deliniation of flavours, likely because of the bright acidity... Finish is quite long (but not exceedingly so). Had a slight bitterness to the finish at first, but after another hour or so it had disappeared. Absolutely terrific wine for the money.
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Blackberry on nose with lots of spice. Palate shows black cherry and blackberry that is surprisingly elegant and balanced, not showing over-the-top character so common with Barossa 2003 Shiraz. Fruit is consistent from start to finish, which goes for over a minute with fruit and spice.
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The 2003 Kalleske Shiraz Greenock is complexly wonderful. The bottle was opened and two glasses were quickly poured and covered with bouquet lids. After ten minutes or so, a whimsical fragrance was identified as coming from the bottle itself. Low bush wild blueberries and dark lavender disrupted our conversation from ten feet away. When I arrived to my glass, removed the lid and stuck my nose into the opening for a five second pull of bouquet, my senses became overwhelmed. The wild blueberries and lavender were there, but they we laced together with humid, bright currents. Plumeria and forest floor were also lightly present dancing across the finish of the pull. It took me another five minutes of sampling the bouquet before I actually brought myself to take a mouthful of the ethereal blue rimmed and deep purple liquid. A fairly dense, exquisitely smooth fluid met my mouth wherefrom a circus of light cherries, smooth cassis, and a slightly apple tart finish exploded in my mouth. About twenty minutes later the bouquet had become more floral with rose and lilac dominating a wonderful perfume. The flavor became more complex with the apple tart ebbing and a captivating roasted/smokey note offset by a pleasant and more sweet finish. One warning though; at 15.5% incredibly integrated alcohol (there was no hint of heat) my senses degraded quickly and the third glass was more of elation than sensing. I wonder if the alcohol is really more in the 16%+ range – if it is, it is not detectable other than general impairment. What other surprises await the patient?
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Massive porty nose, raisins, prune, vanilla and coconut.There is a bit of a vitamin B smell on the aroma. Over the top palate that would please some tasters but too much for our aged sirloin. Perhaps a small glass after the meal with coffee may have been enjoyable.
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8/1/2022 - ndeacon wrote:
Based on the recommended drinking window I was expecting this to be past its best, but it was delicious and could have gone a few more years. Still fresh and vibrant but with the added complexity of 19 years in bottle. I regret taking this to a neighbours house, didn’t have a decent glass and I wasnt able to get some needed alone time with this wine.
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11/4/2021 - peternelson wrote:
Run of the mill, a bit faded, not impressed. Bonus wine at DD at Akbar blind--Loire Whites.
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7/23/2020 - asefq wrote: 96 Points
This Syrah is almost perfect. It is filled with dark berries, vanilla and a touch of earth. It sounds sweet, but it was neither cloying or heavy in the least. Just a brilliant, velvety mouthfeel and a 30 second finish.
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11/27/2019 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brilliant Barossa and gorgeous Greenock. Hedonistically ripe fruit of the spirit of this Holy land, these sacred undulating hills and blessed fruit.
Beautifully aged, epochal, numbing the confines of immediately reality, though an abundance of tannin to remind you it's from the earth while the mid palate haunts through the ages.
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8/27/2019 - Yamadori Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened my last bottle tonight expecting to be a little disappointed. Thankfully i was wrong. Although this wine is not at the level of 5 years ago it is still really good but in a different way. Still shows a great nose of blueberry and spice.The killer dark fruit profile has receded somewhat but while there is still adequate fruit the wine has developed great secondary notes of leather and cedar. The finish is still quite long with some black pepper and spice notes. This has been a great wine and if you still have it i would enjoy over the next year or two. Think i probably underrated it in my previous notes.
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3/22/2019 - jhngo wrote: flawed
Spritz in bottle.
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6/17/2018 - tuxy85 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tannins have all resolved. Plum, blackcurrant, pepper and cedar. My preference would have been to drink it a few years ago as some of the fruit flavour has gone. Still a lovely wine.
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3/17/2018 - mflesh wrote: 95 Points
The youth on this wine was incredible. I simply cannot imagine drinking this one too much earlier than what we did. The nose was so complex....floral, ripe black fruit, hint of nitrogen. Entry was dark, full bodied ripe black fruit and fig. The middle turned darker. Finished with dominance. Lots of black pepper. Tannins were soft and had resolved for the most part. This one was ready to kick ass and take names. The 2006-2017 drinking window on this wine is completely off.
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3/9/2017 - etyc Likes this wine:
Wine session at ES with ATS team.
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12/26/2016 - bradleymichaelharris@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
All around fantastic. Nice spicy shiraz.
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12/18/2016 - Geoff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mature, beautiful Barrosa Valley shiraz. Great dark fruit, tannins resolved, everything in balance. Smooth mouthfeel, Long finish.
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8/15/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I really enjoyed this although my wife (who loves Oz wines) wasn't impressed. Inky purple. Decent nose. A huge second fermentation going on that fades with about 2 hrs of a decant. Rich black and blue fruit. Complex. Very long teeth staining finish but not an over the top wine.
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3/11/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied intense integrated black and blue fruit. Alcohol has mellowed somewhat but still has legs.
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1/24/2015 - Yamadori Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped & Poured. Consistent with previous TN from several years ago but doesn't require a lengthy decant any longer. Beautiful, elegant Shiraz that has aged really well and is still in it's prime drinking window.
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12/26/2014 - sthugo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow ... this is good. Didn't really have many expectations for this bottle as it was from a so called weaker Barossa vintage and follows the fantastic initial 2002 release. Not much on the nose but on first tasting well-balanced came straight to mind. Plenty of up-front black fruit married nicely with a flavoursome tannic, drying finish ... that lasts. Definitely a full bodied style of wine, but has a quality behind it that makes you want to refill your glass. RP said this could be one of the leading candidates for Barossa's "Shiraz of the Vintage" and according to this bottle he may just be right! Drinking well now but no need to rush ... well cellared bottles should last for at least another 10 or so years. For $35/bottle on release, that is real bang for your buck.
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12/24/2014 - etyc Likes this wine:
Similar to the last bottle... Plums, some cedar, spice on the nose. Concentrated and still a bit jammy on the palate, but with smooth integrated tannins and great length. Excellent with the BBQ food we had for Christmas-eve dinner!
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10/15/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the better Oz shiraz I have had. Dark purple with bold complex fruit and integrated tannins. Alcohol has mellowed. Beautiful finish.
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10/10/2014 - etyc wrote:
Dinner @ YW's place (Chez YW): Decanted. A very very well-made wine. Wonderful nose - Creamy, milky, vanilla. Oak regime must've been very well handled. This is a full-bodied wine. Initially I had thought the Deux Freres would overpower it, but it held its ground. Velvety tannins well integrated with the fruit, giving it a good length. The only snag is that the fruit still appears a tad sweet - 2 glasses or more, and it started to feel "jelat". Am certainly curious to see how this will turn out with another 5-10 yrs of cellar time...
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7/19/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An excellent bottle of wine. Deep ruby/purple hues. Decanted over 90 minutes. Very good complex fruit with mild residual tannins. Good finish. Still drinking well. Might convince me to get back into Oz wines.
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7/4/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted about 90 minutes. Nice inky purple. Alcohol and tannins bery muted. Fruit deep and rich but not bold. Very nice finish. Bold but not in your face.
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11/22/2013 - jpwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
I think this wine is underrated. It was the star of our evening of fine wines. Not as fruit forward as most shirazs , but soft tannins, black berries, elegant finish.
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10/5/2013 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
This ten year old was delicious with osso bucco. Dark fruit, earth, spice. Beautiful balance. Small amount of drying tannin in the finish. Drink or hold
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4/6/2013 - jinks Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aussie night!!! (J&B Cellar): Tasted blind alongside three other great wines. My blind notes:
Nose - muted fruit, Flintstone vitamin, cooked meat
Mouth - Thick, rich, decadent. Abundant dark fruit, chewy fine tannins.
Long finish.
Rated 2/4 in this flight.
(WA 96-100)
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12/27/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 94 Points
Peppery bouquet, herbs, thyme - like opening a spice box. On the palate sweet caramel, but not overripe, more pepper, cassis. Not hot despite 15.5 per cent. alcohol. Drinking very well but has lots of life left.
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11/15/2012 - ScottGill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Extemely dark red-black in colour. chocolate and currant abound on the nose. Savoury and spicy palate. Really enjoyed this one.
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7/23/2012 - deverett wrote: 92 Points
Lovely Barossa shiraz. Concentrated, soft with great length and a really interesting saltiness that works really well. Terrific balance and a structure that will allow this to age gracefully for some time yet. It does perform better after some air and holds its shape over 2-3 days without falling away.
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6/11/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Not what I was hoping for. Still tannic with smoke, vanilla, sweet fruits and a buttery note. This needs more time and hopefully will come around. Drink from 2015 to 2020. 90-92
On seeing my previous note I should have drank this on day 3.
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6/1/2012 - EyeDoc wrote: 95 Points
This has improved over the years - fully integrated - smooth finish - hard to believe 15.5% ETOH. Really a great wine.
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5/16/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 24 hours after shaking the bottle like an idiot... which you need to do, as this beast is spritzy like hell.
Anyway, this was so much more pleasant than the one that has not been decanted for so long the day before. Round, classic Barossa notes, blood, full bodied yet balanced. Really nice...
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5/15/2012 - G_H wrote: 85 Points
Random wines at Martin's house (Martin Rickenbach): This is spritzy, like a Lambrusco. I had this with some 2007 CdP but never with an Auzzie. It's not too bad, just pop the cork, pour half a glass put the cork back on and then shake it (really well), take the cork off again, put it back on and then shake it again once or twice.
Before doing that it has a very nice nose with cherry, burnt rubber, licorice. But then it goes downhill and it is very thin on the palate.
After the shake it has a different appearance: much more power in the palate, but also a different type of nose. I think it needs to be shaken and then decanted for 12 hours or so.
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5/8/2012 - WDK wrote: 91 Points
Obvious heat damage as wine seeped through cork. Spritzy like the last bottle, but otherwise pretty good. Opaque purple, big concentration, ripe fruit showing intensity, and a med long finish.
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2/4/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Phenomenal wine. Fruit is not shy but would appeal to even critics of Aussie wines. Improved with air. Wish I had a case.
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11/20/2011 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
A lot of chocolate and menthol in the bouquet as well as on the palate. Very concentrated and sweet, but also elegance thanks to the fresh acidity. Dark fruits and pleasant oak. Ready now; no hurry.
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11/20/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Nose of soy sauce, pepper, spices and dark fruits. On the palate a heat and more earth elements than fruit. Medium finish. I will wait a day and see if this improves to review it.
Day Two:
The heat has blown off and the nose reveals blueberries, floral, spice and coffee beans. The palate has soften and is showing some nice acidity along with spice, floral, sour cherries, blueberries and minerals. Medium finish and almost refreshing for an Aussie Shiraz. Current Score: 91
Day Three:
I always get a kick out of those who only drink French wine or Old World wine and say Aussie Shiraz is bad. Not really what I would call an expert on wine. This wine has transformed and become the wine Parker predicted it would become. Dust, raspberries, tar, white pepper and Asian spices. The palate is showing cassis, raspberries, white pepper and integrated tannins. Medium finish and full of flavor. This wine should be aged for five to ten years and the day 3 experiment once again has proved a winner on a good wine! 95.
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11/19/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Game and Rhone Tasting @ Peggy's (Villa Reynart, Opoeteren): This one was served as a mystery guest in an extensive Rhone-tasting. Though easily recognisable as a New-World-Shiraz, it certainly rang my bell. Smoky and sultry, blackcherry-jam, vanilla, charcoal, oak starting to integrate. Very tasty and clean, but there is some mid-palate heat and it's slightly drying on the finish. Excellent wine and its length and complexity are certainly above average. 18/20
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8/7/2011 - Avid Wino wrote: 94 Points
To drink this wine is to feel that all is right with the world. Very nice, and impressively crafted. Dark berries, plum, cherry, chocolate, meat juices, mineral. Fine tannins, long finish. 15.5% alcohol but perfectly integrated, perfectly balanced. I strongly recommend drinking this alongside the best piece of beef that you can get your hands on. I drank this with roast wagyu beef, also threw a splash in the gravy. A monumentally tasty pairing.
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4/20/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 93 Points
Very good. Fresh but rich. Great balance, long good aftertaste. Lots of plum and cherry fruit.
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1/26/2011 - stocksandbondage wrote: flawed
No score as bottle was oddly spritzy. I've had this wine before, and it's not supposed to taste like this. It was frizante, which is ok for Lambrusco, but not for Aussie Shirazes (unless they are sold as sparkling Shiraz, which this one isn't)
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1/24/2011 - BigGer wrote: 94 Points
Dee p, dark and delicious. No artificial sweeteners here just the right blend of fruit, time and expectation. A wonderful example of how good auzzie shiraz can be if you forego the temptation to be gauzy.
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1/15/2011 - TMacpherson wrote: 96 Points
This wine was hitting on all cylinders tonite. The nose was an exquisite blend of dark ripe cherries, beef blood, and dark bitter chocolate. The body was absolutely beautifully balanced. Perfectly extracted without a hint of being over the top. A blend of dark berries, more chocolate, and a faint hint of smoke or bacon (?). The finish really was the only thing that prevented this wine from achieving a perfect score. Would definitely recommend drinking now as it would seem hard that it could improve with any more age in the bottle. We had this with a home made corn beef hash, grilled zuchinni, and lightly butter grilled soft bread.
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12/23/2010 - bonedocnine wrote: 92 Points
Perfect drinking window right now. The rich fruits have benefited from time in the bottle. Excellent wine.
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10/1/2010 - billapex Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, what an amazing wine. The first thing we all noticed was a big nose of diesel. That nose was muted a bit on the palate but still present. Huge shiraz, with nicely-integrated alcohol. Unfortunately, my only bottle.
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8/27/2010 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
Very interesting wine, high alcohol but very well integrated, lots of fruit cassis, cherry, liquorice and other berries. Evolves well and very ethereal!
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5/9/2010 - WDK wrote: 92 Points
This wine was spritzy, with carbonation evident on the taste. Also, the cork blew out of the half full bottle on the way home. Sweet, syrupy and fat.
On day 3, it was much better. Still a bit spritzy, but long and rich with beautiful intense red fruits and just enough acidity to balance. This is more of a cocktail wine than one made for food. It's good, but not something I want to have very often.
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5/8/2010 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
Lots of fruit, black berries, tannic. Can wait.
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10/25/2009 - tcfishler wrote:
Very dark red. Almost but not quite embryonic black hole of a shiraz, with woodsy and mineral nuance complementing a steel-spined black fruit core. Massively concentrated but not out of whack, this deserves a respectful, hands-off approach in the cellar.
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10/17/2009 - Yamadori wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes with the exception that this bottle was given a loger decant than last time (about 4 hours) and the wine benfited from this. The 15.5% alcohol was nicely contained to the point that it was not really noticeable except for some slight heat on the finish. A really well made Shiraz which is very smooth. Good as it is, it was overshadowed by the superb 2003 Egelhoff Cabernet which we drank alongside it.
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9/23/2009 - Yamadori wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Nose was initially a touch alcoholic and porty but this gradually blew off to reveal a wonderful blend of ripe dark fruit, black pepper, spice and graphite. On the palate this wine is silky smooth and opulent with a concentrated jammy, dark fruit profile which coats the mouth completely. The finish is long with a little spice and some soft tannins begin to show. Probably the most balanced and elegant Aussie shiraz i have tasted. The 15.5% alcohol only showed on the nose early on. Continued to improve throughout the evening suggesting that this wine will continue to drink extremely well for several more years. For the purists, it is worth noting that it is somewhat one dimensional. However, that single dimension is done extremely well. Tremendous effort, a pleasure to drink and highly recommended.
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3/14/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
This was a huge 15.5% wine that turned silky smooth with integrated Blueberry, tobacco, smoke, plum and a meaty semi sweet chocolate finish. I know this is a Parkerized wine but dam good.
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3/1/2009 - ogres3 wrote:
very good - still need to decant - "delicious" from the missus - barossa blueberrries, full bodied
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2/15/2009 - mattwoolley wrote: 92 Points
Typical barossan nose - blackbery, blueberry, licorice, pencil shavings. Palate of jammy fruits, floral lift, licorice getting strong with time; silky and long, quite restrained.
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12/6/2008 - redbat wrote: 90 Points
Started off nice straight out of the bottle. Probably drinking as well as it's going to. The problem I had was that after 45 minutes it began to take on some slightly dead fruit/stewed fruit flavors which made me question the age ability. Not as fresh or bright as it was when younger
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10/31/2008 - thenapalist wrote: 92 Points
Well made wine with some alcohol that blew off after about a half hour. Great fruit but not enough complexity to merit an extremely high score. Great length but somewhat forgettable. It could use another 3-5 years in bottle but I'm not sure if it will improve significantly.
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6/5/2008 - Charlie Carnes wrote: flawed
1 of 5 flawed VA bottles of aussie wines. These were all the same flaw, and not one was good enough for my awesome Sangria recipe. Others were 2004 S/9, 2002 Avery's Hillside, 2002 Henry's Drive reserve shiraz, 2001 Gumparra old vines.
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8/1/2007 - caldwell wrote:
I remember this as being remarkable but maybe not terrifically outstanding like the Tatiarra Cambrian we had a few nights later.
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6/9/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 89 Points
15.5% alcohol. Not decanted, but tasted over roughly a three hour period (although it probably would not have budged had I left it out overnight). Dense nose of grilled plums, espresso, smoke, and graphite. On the palate, blueberry and blackberry jam, dark chocolate, smoke, and graphite. No perceptible heat, in part I think because of the intensity of the fruit. Surprisingly, the oak still seem to be fairly present. 89-90 points now, but I think it has the potential to score higher with more time.
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6/9/2007 - EyeDoc wrote: 95 Points
This is outstanding. Silky smooth - great fruit - in balance.
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10/14/2006 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Awesome nose and palate. This wine did NOT disappoint!
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5/14/2006 - EyeDoc wrote:
Right out of the glass there was this huge tart acidic tingling sensation that made my wife want to spit it back in the glass. A half an hour later the wine evolves into a much better wine with lots of fruit -- a little jammy for me but great if you like this style.
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1/29/2006 - Thilo wrote: 95 Points
Color is dark purple and inky with a bluish rim. Nose shows distinct blueberry overtones with tar and a floral element. On the palate, sweet blueberry, blackberry, and spice meet with good balancing acidity and sweet tannins in this most pleasurable Australian Shiraz. Will probably improve with a few years time...decanted for 2 hours.
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12/26/2005 - SteveT wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nice but slightly subdued nose with Blueberries predominating and a bit of a floral note. Palate is exceedingly smooth and has the illusion of being slightly sweet. Most remarkable characteristic is the deliniation of flavours, likely because of the bright acidity... Finish is quite long (but not exceedingly so). Had a slight bitterness to the finish at first, but after another hour or so it had disappeared. Absolutely terrific wine for the money.
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3/1/2005 - caldwell wrote:
Absolutely astounding; deep and concentrated, really beautiful. Needed a couple of hours to open up.
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2/20/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Blackberry on nose with lots of spice. Palate shows black cherry and blackberry that is surprisingly elegant and balanced, not showing over-the-top character so common with Barossa 2003 Shiraz. Fruit is consistent from start to finish, which goes for over a minute with fruit and spice.
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1/28/2005 - RSheldon wrote: 98 Points
The 2003 Kalleske Shiraz Greenock is complexly wonderful. The bottle was opened and two glasses were quickly poured and covered with bouquet lids. After ten minutes or so, a whimsical fragrance was identified as coming from the bottle itself. Low bush wild blueberries and dark lavender disrupted our conversation from ten feet away. When I arrived to my glass, removed the lid and stuck my nose into the opening for a five second pull of bouquet, my senses became overwhelmed. The wild blueberries and lavender were there, but they we laced together with humid, bright currents. Plumeria and forest floor were also lightly present dancing across the finish of the pull. It took me another five minutes of sampling the bouquet before I actually brought myself to take a mouthful of the ethereal blue rimmed and deep purple liquid. A fairly dense, exquisitely smooth fluid met my mouth wherefrom a circus of light cherries, smooth cassis, and a slightly apple tart finish exploded in my mouth. About twenty minutes later the bouquet had become more floral with rose and lilac dominating a wonderful perfume. The flavor became more complex with the apple tart ebbing and a captivating roasted/smokey note offset by a pleasant and more sweet finish. One warning though; at 15.5% incredibly integrated alcohol (there was no hint of heat) my senses degraded quickly and the third glass was more of elation than sensing. I wonder if the alcohol is really more in the 16%+ range – if it is, it is not detectable other than general impairment. What other surprises await the patient?
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10/31/2004 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Massive porty nose, raisins, prune, vanilla and coconut.There is a bit of a vitamin B smell on the aroma. Over the top palate that would please some tasters but too much for our aged sirloin. Perhaps a small glass after the meal with coffee may have been enjoyable.
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