Ok I learned from a great wine maker when I lived in Italy that if you profile a great wine based on varietal, region, climate, and winery, you can push the envelope by aging beyond the norm. There is inherent risk in the wine going off but if you store properly and take a calculated risk, well baboom - magic in the bottle. I have the algorithm for this - shhh.
The Tranformational Wine Experiment:
This ‘06 Pillar Box Reserve Shiraz at 16% alc. opened up with a pop and pour to a beautiful dark plum colour with a pronounced dark berry, plum and liquorice profile. Very balanced and stable with good tannins and great acidity. Remarkable wine for 12 years and given the suggested drink window was through 2011. This is well beyond the drink window but this is drinking like a big bold Aussie! Paired with butter chicken and basmati rice - spectacular.
Popped and poured at Le Diner in SF. My date and friends liked it. I didn't care for it that much. It wasn't bad, just didn't like the slight sharpness from the tannins or is it something else?
Nose not discernible in the breeze. Good dark color. Notes of blackberry, plum and pepper. Fruit has mellowed. Leaves a slightly bitter after taste. Drink it if you have it. Wouldn't bother buying it.
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Nicely aged, maybe a touch too much, but really not a big issue. Tannins are almost gone (which is why I've lowered the rating a bit) but nicely integrated into the wine to give the finish a cedar character. The acid is nice and the fruit has lasted an amazingly long time. I'd have liked it more plump and edgy, but I can't really expect too much from a $23 dollar wine, not really built for too much ageing. I like it.
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I can hardly believe this was a mid $20 bottle.. classy bouquet of smoke, vanilla, saddle leather, bacon, and blueberry. Full-bodied with no hard edges to its lengthy finish.
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shared with ellen, mahesh and pat at selkirk manor. paired with leftover prime beef tenderloin, roast potato, carrots and onions from christmas day. did not decant this time. the wine still packs a powerful punch. high alcohol but plenty of dark fruit to carry it along. firm structure should allow it to go at least another year. everyone at the table enjoyed although they had some difficulty zeroing in on the shiraz grape. i like this wine better than most other tasters. will look for it again, if not in this vintage then the next one.
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Tons of fruit and grape soda on the nose. Very thick mouthfeel. Dark chocolate notes, earthy with some blackberries. Decanted for 30 min but probably still needs more time.
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Plenty of blueberry and blackberry on the nose, and maybe a little clove in there too. On the palate there's plenty of that blueberry and blackberry up front, with some vanilla as well. On the mid-palate there's a little cola and oak. The back-end is where it loses the 90. It's just not smooth. Still some serious tannins perhaps, because there's a little bitterness and pucker here. Still a very nice glass of wine, and not a bad QPR at all. Enjoyed it.
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I was going to say that this tasted like grape kool-aid, but re-reading previous notes, I think that "syrupy" sums it up better. I'm used to Cali cabs and this had waaay more fruit and was really extracted. Not my style of wine, but I'm sure some enjoy it.
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Big blackberry and plum bouquet. A bit more toned down than I was looking for (i.e. other Ringland productions). This has a heavy, dark fruit on the finish but it is fairly simple, missing a layering effect. I liked it, but certainly didn't love it.
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Having this with a steak, red pepper, onion, mushroom and feta pizza. This is a very big fruit wine, loaded with upfront fruit. 16% alc by vol - this is rather boozy. Not bad, though I feel I prefer the regular pillar box more.
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Good wine, but not as good as I would have expected. big boozy fruit, but lacks finesse, and has a slight bitter aftertaste. Almost like the red labeled regular labeled pillar box red better. A year or two in the cellar may take off the edge on the aftertaste.
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Previous naysayers have summed this one up well, I think. It actually makes me wonder why I buy sub-$20 Aussie Shirazes any more. True, they're wines that I can actually afford, but that's not a good enough reason standing alone. This one, like the past few in the category, is way too heavy-handed on the oak, the syrupy alcohol, and the infamous "oodles of fruit." It mellows somewhat after about three days so that you can sort of taste the blackberry, pepper, and clove that peek through. And I don't mean to single this one out based on the cumulative flaws of the other bargain-priced Aussie Shirazes I've had lately. Still, it's hard work enjoying this stuff. Better to have half as much Syrah at twice the price to gain twice the fulfillment. Or just buy a Luca Laborde Double Select (yum) at almost the same price.
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I will preface my comments by saying Aussie Shiraz isn't my favorite wine in general. That said, this wine did nothing for me. I found it harsh and aggressive, over the top in fruit, and out of whack with the acidity. It may benefit from decanting, but I didn't like it enough to try again. Salud!
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More refined than a lot of the Aussies. It holds your interest immediately, it doesn't shout at you like the others, it has some complexity and length.
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Very deep, garnet color. Poured right out of the bottle. Bit harsh at first but opened up quickly. This wine will absolutely benefit from decanting. A blend is evident. Leather and earth of a good cab mixed with big shiraz fruit. Finish is not long enough. Should improve with time.
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i usually don't bother with decanting. especially for young wines. but i dutifully followed the instructions on the label and gave this one a double decant. this wine stains the glass and i guess the teeth as well. 15.5 percent alcohol. but, it hides behind a very lush, fruit forward and zoftig structure. very viscous. loaded with dark fruit. at this price point, i can't resist squirreling away a few more bottles in the cellar. the label lists chris ringland as consulting winemaker who indicates that, for this wine, patience is a virtue.
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What you see is what you get--a dark, big, super jammy, ripe wine with dark fruits dominating the palate. Pop and pour, a heavy, syrupy wine, I don't think it gets much better. Nor do I think it's got enough acidity to be a great food wine, but on a cold winter nite, sitting by the fire, this one is fun to sip.
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Decanted for an hour; too highly extracted to really enjoy. After another hour+ in the glass this began to soften up and become approachable, but I had moved onto something else at that point. Worth getting another bottle to see if this is a good value-play with time.
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5/4/2018 - Czara96 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ok I learned from a great wine maker when I lived in Italy that if you profile a great wine based on varietal, region, climate, and winery, you can push the envelope by aging beyond the norm. There is inherent risk in the wine going off but if you store properly and take a calculated risk, well baboom - magic in the bottle. I have the algorithm for this - shhh.
The Tranformational Wine Experiment:
This ‘06 Pillar Box Reserve Shiraz at 16% alc. opened up with a pop and pour to a beautiful dark plum colour with a pronounced dark berry, plum and liquorice profile. Very balanced and stable with good tannins and great acidity. Remarkable wine for 12 years and given the suggested drink window was through 2011. This is well beyond the drink window but this is drinking like a big bold Aussie! Paired with butter chicken and basmati rice - spectacular.
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12/24/2013 - Alandel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Certainly past it's prime, but pleasant to drink nevertheless.
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11/17/2013 - Alandel wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant, but reasonably unremarkable. Has enjoyed the bottle age, and is well ready now.
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7/26/2013 - Alandel Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a big Padthaway red. Thick and fruity, with a peppery high octane mouth feel.
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3/18/2013 - cstir Likes this wine: 87 Points
Dark berry flavor; tartness; modest tannins; average finish.
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10/19/2012 - Wineonthevine wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured at Le Diner in SF. My date and friends liked it. I didn't care for it that much. It wasn't bad, just didn't like the slight sharpness from the tannins or is it something else?
Nose not discernible in the breeze. Good dark color. Notes of blackberry, plum and pepper. Fruit has mellowed. Leaves a slightly bitter after taste. Drink it if you have it. Wouldn't bother buying it.
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9/21/2012 - crowino wrote: 85 Points
Nicely aged, maybe a touch too much, but really not a big issue. Tannins are almost gone (which is why I've lowered the rating a bit) but nicely integrated into the wine to give the finish a cedar character. The acid is nice and the fruit has lasted an amazingly long time. I'd have liked it more plump and edgy, but I can't really expect too much from a $23 dollar wine, not really built for too much ageing. I like it.
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9/1/2012 - pmbohn wrote: 91 Points
I can hardly believe this was a mid $20 bottle.. classy bouquet of smoke, vanilla, saddle leather, bacon, and blueberry. Full-bodied with no hard edges to its lengthy finish.
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6/15/2012 - pmbohn wrote: 90 Points
Great!
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1/11/2012 - cstir wrote: 87 Points
Fruit forward with syrup feel but limited texture and depth; short finish.
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12/26/2011 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared with ellen, mahesh and pat at selkirk manor. paired with leftover prime beef tenderloin, roast potato, carrots and onions from christmas day. did not decant this time. the wine still packs a powerful punch. high alcohol but plenty of dark fruit to carry it along. firm structure should allow it to go at least another year. everyone at the table enjoyed although they had some difficulty zeroing in on the shiraz grape. i like this wine better than most other tasters. will look for it again, if not in this vintage then the next one.
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11/18/2011 - mrpalmer wrote: 88 Points
I still like this. Ditto on my previous note - not refined.
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9/21/2011 - TheWrongAlex wrote: 89 Points
Tons of fruit and grape soda on the nose. Very thick mouthfeel. Dark chocolate notes, earthy with some blackberries. Decanted for 30 min but probably still needs more time.
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4/12/2011 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 89 Points
Plenty of blueberry and blackberry on the nose, and maybe a little clove in there too. On the palate there's plenty of that blueberry and blackberry up front, with some vanilla as well. On the mid-palate there's a little cola and oak. The back-end is where it loses the 90. It's just not smooth. Still some serious tannins perhaps, because there's a little bitterness and pucker here. Still a very nice glass of wine, and not a bad QPR at all. Enjoyed it.
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7/21/2010 - mlunt wrote: 85 Points
I was going to say that this tasted like grape kool-aid, but re-reading previous notes, I think that "syrupy" sums it up better. I'm used to Cali cabs and this had waaay more fruit and was really extracted. Not my style of wine, but I'm sure some enjoy it.
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2/22/2010 - wineislife wrote: 87 Points
Big blackberry and plum bouquet. A bit more toned down than I was looking for (i.e. other Ringland productions). This has a heavy, dark fruit on the finish but it is fairly simple, missing a layering effect. I liked it, but certainly didn't love it.
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2/1/2010 - dwaynelm wrote: 89 Points
Blackberry, black licorice, cherry, smokey oak/vanilla, big tannin and balanced acidity.
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11/20/2009 - Zinlady wrote: 90 Points
We enjoyed this wine. It is big. It fills your mouth. Enjoy is heaviness. We had with a vegetarian meal
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10/27/2009 - rmicroys wrote:
Having this with a steak, red pepper, onion, mushroom and feta pizza. This is a very big fruit wine, loaded with upfront fruit. 16% alc by vol - this is rather boozy. Not bad, though I feel I prefer the regular pillar box more.
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10/10/2009 - rmicroys wrote: 88 Points
Good wine, but not as good as I would have expected. big boozy fruit, but lacks finesse, and has a slight bitter aftertaste. Almost like the red labeled regular labeled pillar box red better. A year or two in the cellar may take off the edge on the aftertaste.
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8/27/2009 - Stephan O wrote: 84 Points
Previous naysayers have summed this one up well, I think. It actually makes me wonder why I buy sub-$20 Aussie Shirazes any more. True, they're wines that I can actually afford, but that's not a good enough reason standing alone. This one, like the past few in the category, is way too heavy-handed on the oak, the syrupy alcohol, and the infamous "oodles of fruit." It mellows somewhat after about three days so that you can sort of taste the blackberry, pepper, and clove that peek through. And I don't mean to single this one out based on the cumulative flaws of the other bargain-priced Aussie Shirazes I've had lately. Still, it's hard work enjoying this stuff. Better to have half as much Syrah at twice the price to gain twice the fulfillment. Or just buy a Luca Laborde Double Select (yum) at almost the same price.
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5/28/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
I was quite happy with this. Surprisingly good for the price
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5/22/2009 - LarryInBrookline wrote: 85 Points
Disappointing after the excellent red-label Pillar Box. A sour nip on first sip followed by a constant drone of simple pepper and nothing more
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4/21/2009 - armchairsommelier wrote: 79 Points
I will preface my comments by saying Aussie Shiraz isn't my favorite wine in general. That said, this wine did nothing for me. I found it harsh and aggressive, over the top in fruit, and out of whack with the acidity. It may benefit from decanting, but I didn't like it enough to try again. Salud!
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4/12/2009 - LarryInBrookline wrote: 90 Points
More refined than a lot of the Aussies. It holds your interest immediately, it doesn't shout at you like the others, it has some complexity and length.
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4/11/2009 - mrpalmer wrote: 89 Points
Concentrated, spicy, cola. Pretty enjoyable but slightly unrefined.
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3/13/2009 - GEMon wrote: 88 Points
Scents of blackberries, black cherries, and barnyard. Tastes of black cherry, smoke, and vanilla. Good, but we've had better for this price.
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2/27/2009 - jderiggi wrote: 90 Points
Very deep, garnet color. Poured right out of the bottle. Bit harsh at first but opened up quickly. This wine will absolutely benefit from decanting. A blend is evident. Leather and earth of a good cab mixed with big shiraz fruit. Finish is not long enough. Should improve with time.
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2/21/2009 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
i usually don't bother with decanting. especially for young wines. but i dutifully followed the instructions on the label and gave this one a double decant. this wine stains the glass and i guess the teeth as well. 15.5 percent alcohol. but, it hides behind a very lush, fruit forward and zoftig structure. very viscous. loaded with dark fruit. at this price point, i can't resist squirreling away a few more bottles in the cellar. the label lists chris ringland as consulting winemaker who indicates that, for this wine, patience is a virtue.
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1/21/2009 - Tory Griffin wrote: 88 Points
What you see is what you get--a dark, big, super jammy, ripe wine with dark fruits dominating the palate. Pop and pour, a heavy, syrupy wine, I don't think it gets much better. Nor do I think it's got enough acidity to be a great food wine, but on a cold winter nite, sitting by the fire, this one is fun to sip.
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11/22/2008 - mgl wrote: 73 Points
Too over intense and harsh. Dancanting may help but had this after a good cab. Will not buy again
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10/24/2008 - bilgepump100 wrote: 82 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes. Lots of blackberries and raspberries mixed with massive oak. Big tannic finish. A typical low effort shiraz.
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9/1/2008 - davidandrose wrote:
Decanted for an hour; too highly extracted to really enjoy. After another hour+ in the glass this began to soften up and become approachable, but I had moved onto something else at that point. Worth getting another bottle to see if this is a good value-play with time.
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8/31/2008 - jackarmando wrote: 89 Points
Juicy; richly textured; lacking in acidity.
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6/27/2008 - pakabear wrote: 86 Points
Needs more acidity. Has a strange funky over-ripe rotten fruit smell. Palate has good complexity, but really not my cup of tea.
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5/9/2008 - Eak49 wrote:
Bit too tanniny for me--maybe needed to be aged or decanted longer.
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5/1/2008 - dsimmons wrote: 92 Points
I liked this wine. Lots of fruit and probably will improve with some bottle time. It was a bit grainy.
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3/8/2008 - skiwine wrote: 87 Points
Rich, smooth, liquorish flavor. Needs time to decant (as recommended).
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