Found this in the in-laws' cellar. Dark ruby. The nose is developed, with blackberry jam, black pepper, tobacco, vanilla, sweet baking spices. The palate is dry, with low to med acidity, med tannins and high alcohol (14.5%), which is nicely integrated and seems lower. This wine has aged beautifully, particularly considering the price point, but I would not hold it any longer.
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Rich, velvety fruity - still a blockbuster at 11 years on. Classic d'Arenberg. Mrs H loved this - still a bit super-concentrated for me, but perhaps I'm quibbling. Excellent! Will probably age for quite a while yet, but we're not tempted to wait.
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Too much tart added acid, grippy tannins and showing a hot alcoholic finish. The acidity is angular and attacks the palate immediately rather than refreshing it. The fruit profile is simple and generic black fruit with a touch of leather developing. I just can't see this wine ever coming together, the components are just too disjointed.
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Pop and pour (maybe I should have decanted based on others comments). Lots of black fruit on the nose and palate which includes a little earth as well. Nice long finish.
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I didn't get the same over extracted fruit that others claimed. I did get a very tannic wine that should mellow out with age and let other elements flow forward. Double decanting helps along with two hours but this needs a couple years in the cellar.
Deep purple color. Rich nose of currant and cedar. Blackberry wrapped in rich tart tannins overpowering other notes and hiding the complexity of the fruit.
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Was looking forward to trying this however pop and pour initial reaction the wine is a little over extracted. Like the weight and feel of the wine, its just a little over the top. May be better with some time open and a steak. I've had worse for the price though.
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This is a reliable wine from a reliable producer. I would echo other's comments but also add that there was a fair amount of alcohol on the nose upon opening. Much reduced after about an hour..
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Really interesting wine this. Straight out of the bottle it was quite Port like, quite thick and luxurious. It had stewed fruit and chocolate notes, with a dark chocolate finish. Then after a couple of hours the acidity really came to the fore, with bright blackcurrant and caramel notes. The second day, all the elements had resolved and it displayed a good balance, with an almost Gigondas mouthfeel. Dark fruits, chocolate and slightly burnt wood. I think you have to be in the mood for this wine, but if you are it's really very good.
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The nose seems to match the darkness of the wine's colour. Deep blackberry, plum, a bit of dark chocolate. Juicy in the mouth, with flavours matching the nose. A bit hot up the middle, but lingers nicely. Smooth. Good intro to what d'Arenberg has to offer.
Edit: Great on second day with beef ribeye in blueberry reduction!
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Similar to our last bottle -- ripe blueberries and blackberries, with a sweet cherry component intensifying with time in the air. Flavors were a little more muddled than last time.
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Decanted for 90 minutes but tasted it straight away first. Nice nose at the outset but it was pretty tart and flat before breathing. After good bit of air I got hints of mushroom cellar in the nose. It eventually opened up but needed a couple or few hours. Very nice big fruit with some smoke and earthy wood and not sweet. Seemed to be pretty balanced with a lingering smooth finish. It was great with short ribs and polenta and fried green beans.
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Great wine. Nice fruity, but not over powering nose and good acid. Dark berries in the which corresponds well to the nose. The taste and silky smooth taste. Nice lingering finish that says you want more.
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incredibly acidic on opening with moderate tannins... milder after a day in the decanter. still acidic, but worked well with food. strong berry aroma. decent wine for the price, but not spectacular. Might be better with a couple more years in the bottle.
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Appearance 2/2: A nice, dark, inky red. Bouquet 3/4: A cool, gently pleasant aroma which I think would be much improved out of a larger glass instead of this smaller Zinfindel class glass I'm currently using. Taste 6/10: Just opened notes: Powerful presentation, lots of full-on flavor, but due to the heavy tanins and acids, it arrives on your pallet more like an assult team than a welcomed guest. Large, heavy body, that's a touch bitter, it's pretty clear that this wine will need to open up a bit more. On 2nd Day notes: This is much better on day 2. Better rounded, as the tannins have had time to blend. It's still on the acidic side, but refreshing now instead of abusive. When I open a Shiraz, I'm still looking for a touch more fruit that I get in the body of this wine, but if you prefer a less fruity wine, this is good news, as it is not a dull wine for lack of the fruit-forward. Make sure to decant this on for a several hours before serving if opening within the next year or so. Overall 2/4: Overall, I'm impressed at $15/bottle, but would have been unimpressed if I had paid $25. Will I buy more? Maybe another bottle or two to keep for a few years. But I won't buy more to drink now. TOTAL: 13/20 or 83 on the Robert Parker scale.
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AA Wine Tasting Great Wine Made Simple (San Francisco, CA): Nose had black fruits and showed a bit of spice, but it also seemed a bit reticent. Palate was enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. This wine might benefit from a year or two of cellaring.
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inky dark red, berries and fruity aroma, full-bodied, a little bit over tannic, acidity is fairly high, the overall palate is biased to acidity, good and value for $, especially if accompany meat or pizza
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More fruit forward the first day, second day, spice moves forward, cassis becomes primary, suggests this could be interesting five years from now, as in 93+ interesting.
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This wine really transformed itself after a day or two of air. I had a rather low opinion upon openng.. typical alcohol-laden fruit bomb.. maybe in the 85-87 range. But this became a very graceful, well mannered and expressive friend on day 2. On day3, all I could think about was that I absolutely needed to get more. Great QPR.
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Perfectly sound wine. Desne on nose and palate. A little imprecise in fruit (is this Shiraz or Grenache?). Hot climate feeling. Nothing special at all. I feel many other reviewers overrate this wine. It has a pop factor at a reasonable price, but it really isn't very special at all.
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This bottle is great, and for this price range it is really the WOTN. At least 2-3 hour decanting highly recommended or you might not get the full potential. Dark red, concentrated and depth very long finishing.
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Blast of treacle upon opening the bottle, this gave way to strong blackcurrant/cassis. Lots of blackcurrant in the mouth too. I've always liked this wine and think leaving it in the cellar for 6 months improved it - will get more and store longer.
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Alot of fruit.A Very strong taste of drew berries, too much of it. Somewhat bitter. Not very complex. Maybe its too young? Was ok to drink at this price but still a less wine experience than expected. Maybe Ill try another bottle in a year or two.
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Refreshing Rhone style compared to most Aussie fruit bombs, not that I have a problem with them, but much more balance and complexity to this Shiraz. I'm going back for more.
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Loved this wine. On the nose good casis with some sweetness. Slight smell of jam which I liked. I kept sniffing this wine all night! Palate, again loads of fruit and good lengh. Will buy again.
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Just perfect for a trip to the open-air opera with Mrs H on a slighly chilly English summer evening. Very full-on with intense blackcurrant, cassis and mint nose and a similar mouth-coating palate with warming alcohol.
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Dark fruits, licorice. Footbolt was the prize horse in the founder's stable, check out their website interesting history behind a great Austrailan winery.
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Dark, lustrous red; Spice and big fruit; Blackcurrants, Chocolate, Cedar, Leather; some length to finish; perfect with spaghetti bolognaise. Buy again.
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Very dark red with black patches. Intense nose of sweet dark fruit and oak. Very full palate with medium tannins and surprisingly good acidity - oak closes off the wine in mid-palate. Has the d'Arenberg hallmarks of very concentrated, sweet fruit and oakiness, but is a bit more balanced and fine than a lot of d'Arenbergs I've tasted. Beautiful to drink now, but will keep for at least eight years (tho' my wife wouldn't wait half that long, believing it would be past its best if left later).
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Dark and exotic, this seemed to have lots of breed, even a touch of a high end Cab/Shiraz blend going on. Wonderful dark cassis and kirsch, black cherries and scorched earth made this the real winner of the night. Lots of structure and pizzazz with the long smooth finish you would hope for. What a surprise when unveiled. It reminded me of Brokenwood’s Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz (5x the price). Well done! QPR Indeed. 94/100
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8/16/2019 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 89 Points
Found this in the in-laws' cellar. Dark ruby. The nose is developed, with blackberry jam, black pepper, tobacco, vanilla, sweet baking spices. The palate is dry, with low to med acidity, med tannins and high alcohol (14.5%), which is nicely integrated and seems lower. This wine has aged beautifully, particularly considering the price point, but I would not hold it any longer.
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11/5/2017 - Duncan H Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich, velvety fruity - still a blockbuster at 11 years on. Classic d'Arenberg. Mrs H loved this - still a bit super-concentrated for me, but perhaps I'm quibbling. Excellent! Will probably age for quite a while yet, but we're not tempted to wait.
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7/9/2016 - RayOB wrote: 86 Points
Drank in Dublin
Full robust Shiraz with a lot of primary fruits and a very strong palate.
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12/10/2014 - empire80 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Black fruit and licorice, hint of cough mixture (in a nice way). Very enjoyable now, probably has 2 or 3 years in it yet.
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11/9/2012 - vinodolphin wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle of this one. Took to a restaurant to share. Everyone enjoyed.
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4/22/2012 - sweaty wrote: 90 Points
petunia and anise on the nose. full body. blackberry and eucalyptus nice oak.
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2/17/2012 - vinodolphin wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured, tart fruit but smoothed out quickly. Enjoyed by all.
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10/8/2011 - mradams1987 wrote: 80 Points
Decant or allow to breathe for a period before drinking. Bitter, almost undrinkable until well after opening.
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8/5/2011 - benlisch wrote: 82 Points
Nice tangy red fruit on a light to medium frame, but an aroma/flavor reminiscent sometimes of acetone detracted from the experience.
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5/20/2011 - Darren747 wrote: 81 Points
Too much tart added acid, grippy tannins and showing a hot alcoholic finish. The acidity is angular and attacks the palate immediately rather than refreshing it. The fruit profile is simple and generic black fruit with a touch of leather developing. I just can't see this wine ever coming together, the components are just too disjointed.
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5/6/2011 - PSUSteve wrote:
Poured through Vinturi. Not much different than the previous bottle which was pop and pour. Mellowed out the earth and still dominated by black fruit.
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4/24/2011 - Wino Joe wrote: 89 Points
Much better than last time. Deep purple color. Rich nose of currant and cedar. Blackberry wrapped in rich tart tannins medium long finish.
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4/22/2011 - PSUSteve wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour (maybe I should have decanted based on others comments). Lots of black fruit on the nose and palate which includes a little earth as well. Nice long finish.
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3/13/2011 - Wino Joe wrote: 88 Points
I didn't get the same over extracted fruit that others claimed. I did get a very tannic wine that should mellow out with age and let other elements flow forward. Double decanting helps along with two hours but this needs a couple years in the cellar.
Deep purple color. Rich nose of currant and cedar. Blackberry wrapped in rich tart tannins overpowering other notes and hiding the complexity of the fruit.
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2/10/2011 - wildcat fan wrote: 90 Points
super shiraz with a twist off for convenience!
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4/22/2010 - LBCportagee wrote: 87 Points
Was looking forward to trying this however pop and pour initial reaction the wine is a little over extracted. Like the weight and feel of the wine, its just a little over the top. May be better with some time open and a steak. I've had worse for the price though.
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4/20/2010 - broxsond wrote: 90 Points
Large taste, that mellows once it breathes a bit. Use aerator if in a hurry. Worth the wait, if not. Bold.
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3/15/2010 - aharrover wrote: 85 Points
This is a reliable wine from a reliable producer. I would echo other's comments but also add that there was a fair amount of alcohol on the nose upon opening. Much reduced after about an hour..
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3/15/2010 - nickbb Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really interesting wine this. Straight out of the bottle it was quite Port like, quite thick and luxurious. It had stewed fruit and chocolate notes, with a dark chocolate finish. Then after a couple of hours the acidity really came to the fore, with bright blackcurrant and caramel notes. The second day, all the elements had resolved and it displayed a good balance, with an almost Gigondas mouthfeel. Dark fruits, chocolate and slightly burnt wood. I think you have to be in the mood for this wine, but if you are it's really very good.
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2/22/2010 - Dandiophile wrote: 86 Points
The nose seems to match the darkness of the wine's colour. Deep blackberry, plum, a bit of dark chocolate. Juicy in the mouth, with flavours matching the nose. A bit hot up the middle, but lingers nicely. Smooth. Good intro to what d'Arenberg has to offer.
Edit: Great on second day with beef ribeye in blueberry reduction!
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2/21/2010 - Maznoc wrote: 86 Points
A bit strong on the alcohol, and somewhat thin on fruit, but finishes nicely. A bit of earth and spice.
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2/21/2010 - CkenS wrote:
Everyone commented on how much they like this one. Always a hit but I didn't get any as I was focusing on a nice 05 Bordeaux.
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2/19/2010 - Stevovino wrote: 87 Points
.......
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2/4/2010 - burgburgburg wrote: 87 Points
nose full of ripe fruits, balanced acidity, young tannins, mono and a little bit boring finish, a good bargain food wine
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2/4/2010 - CkenS wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with my last notes. Our guests raved about this wine.
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1/23/2010 - Trax wrote: 85 Points
Overextracted. Tastes like black cherry Kool Aid.
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1/14/2010 - Zweder wrote: 86 Points
Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2010-01; Australia; d'Arenberg (By HV): Chocolate and dark fruits in the bouquet. Slightly sweet start. Good ripe cherries. Pleasant acidity. Juicy and ok bitterness. A pleasant easy drinking shiraz.
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1/13/2010 - mreinitz wrote: 88 Points
Similar to our last bottle -- ripe blueberries and blackberries, with a sweet cherry component intensifying with time in the air. Flavors were a little more muddled than last time.
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1/8/2010 - handymom wrote: 90 Points
Big fruit but not overpowering.
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1/2/2010 - markinhouston wrote: 90 Points
very smooth and peppery-- the latter typical of many McLaren Vale reds
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1/1/2010 - CkenS wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes but tasted it straight away first. Nice nose at the outset but it was pretty tart and flat before breathing. After good bit of air I got hints of mushroom cellar in the nose. It eventually opened up but needed a couple or few hours. Very nice big fruit with some smoke and earthy wood and not sweet. Seemed to be pretty balanced with a lingering smooth finish. It was great with short ribs and polenta and fried green beans.
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12/26/2009 - pwarms wrote: 85 Points
Reliable, clean shiraz...not cheap and you can tell.
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12/24/2009 - rjdoan wrote: 88 Points
Great wine. Nice fruity, but not over powering nose and good acid. Dark berries in the which corresponds well to the nose. The taste and silky smooth taste. Nice lingering finish that says you want more.
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12/22/2009 - JonnyB wrote: 87 Points
Consistent every year and very good with food.
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12/16/2009 - mjames wrote: 87 Points
incredibly acidic on opening with moderate tannins... milder after a day in the decanter. still acidic, but worked well with food. strong berry aroma. decent wine for the price, but not spectacular. Might be better with a couple more years in the bottle.
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12/9/2009 - MikeHines wrote: 83 Points
Appearance 2/2: A nice, dark, inky red.
Bouquet 3/4: A cool, gently pleasant aroma which I think would be much improved out of a larger glass instead of this smaller Zinfindel class glass I'm currently using.
Taste 6/10: Just opened notes: Powerful presentation, lots of full-on flavor, but due to the heavy tanins and acids, it arrives on your pallet more like an assult team than a welcomed guest. Large, heavy body, that's a touch bitter, it's pretty clear that this wine will need to open up a bit more.
On 2nd Day notes: This is much better on day 2. Better rounded, as the tannins have had time to blend. It's still on the acidic side, but refreshing now instead of abusive. When I open a Shiraz, I'm still looking for a touch more fruit that I get in the body of this wine, but if you prefer a less fruity wine, this is good news, as it is not a dull wine for lack of the fruit-forward. Make sure to decant this on for a several hours before serving if opening within the next year or so.
Overall 2/4: Overall, I'm impressed at $15/bottle, but would have been unimpressed if I had paid $25. Will I buy more? Maybe another bottle or two to keep for a few years. But I won't buy more to drink now.
TOTAL: 13/20 or 83 on the Robert Parker scale.
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12/5/2009 - aagrawal wrote: 86 Points
AA Wine Tasting Great Wine Made Simple (San Francisco, CA): Nose had black fruits and showed a bit of spice, but it also seemed a bit reticent. Palate was enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. This wine might benefit from a year or two of cellaring.
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12/1/2009 - burgburgburg wrote: 88 Points
inky dark red, berries and fruity aroma, full-bodied, a little bit over tannic, acidity is fairly high, the overall palate is biased to acidity, good and value for $, especially if accompany meat or pizza
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11/22/2009 - TCKM wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with prior note. Great value.
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11/19/2009 - mreinitz wrote: 89 Points
Blueberry and dark fruit give way to big time candied cherry. Peppery. Hits the spot if you're in the mood for something big.
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11/13/2009 - lebanonOHwinelover wrote: 88 Points
A little disjointed at first. better the next day. maybe a pizza wine?
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10/31/2009 - pwarms wrote: 85 Points
Jammy fun red that worked well with balsamic chicken and spinach would do over
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10/27/2009 - Guitar George wrote: 89 Points
Good wine. Paired well with lasagna.
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10/23/2009 - ianinvirginia wrote: 90 Points
More fruit forward the first day, second day, spice moves forward, cassis becomes primary, suggests this could be interesting five years from now, as in 93+ interesting.
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10/22/2009 - diacov wrote: 88 Points
Dark Cherry, a little spice, definitely leaning toward fruit bomb but thin on the palate. Consistent over 2 nights. Good pizza wine.
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10/10/2009 - TCKM wrote: 90 Points
This wine really transformed itself after a day or two of air. I had a rather low opinion upon openng.. typical alcohol-laden fruit bomb.. maybe in the 85-87 range. But this became a very graceful, well mannered and expressive friend on day 2. On day3, all I could think about was that I absolutely needed to get more. Great QPR.
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10/2/2009 - Rob-Rah wrote: 87 Points
Perfectly sound wine. Desne on nose and palate. A little imprecise in fruit (is this Shiraz or Grenache?). Hot climate feeling. Nothing special at all. I feel many other reviewers overrate this wine. It has a pop factor at a reasonable price, but it really isn't very special at all.
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9/6/2009 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful Shiraz, paired well with spicy food, exceptional value
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8/26/2009 - jskuek wrote: 92 Points
This bottle is great, and for this price range it is really the WOTN. At least 2-3 hour decanting highly recommended or you might not get the full potential. Dark red, concentrated and depth very long finishing.
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8/17/2009 - Thom wrote: 92 Points
Love this wine. Second bottle confirms balance, depth and complexity relative to other AU shiraz even at 2x the price.
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7/31/2009 - richard.stevens wrote: 89 Points
Blast of treacle upon opening the bottle, this gave way to strong blackcurrant/cassis. Lots of blackcurrant in the mouth too. I've always liked this wine and think leaving it in the cellar for 6 months improved it - will get more and store longer.
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7/26/2009 - Duncan H wrote: 90 Points
Loved by all our houseguests - incredibly concentrated and full-on yet again!
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7/20/2009 - Orjan wrote: 84 Points
Alot of fruit.A Very strong taste of drew berries, too much of it. Somewhat bitter. Not very complex. Maybe its too young? Was ok to drink at this price but still a less wine experience than expected. Maybe Ill try another bottle in a year or two.
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7/20/2009 - Thom wrote: 90 Points
Refreshing Rhone style compared to most Aussie fruit bombs, not that I have a problem with them, but much more balance and complexity to this Shiraz. I'm going back for more.
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7/5/2009 - Jlo31 wrote: 91 Points
Loved this wine. On the nose good casis with some sweetness. Slight smell of jam which I liked. I kept sniffing this wine all night! Palate, again loads of fruit and good lengh. Will buy again.
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6/27/2009 - JAKurek wrote: 90 Points
As good a value as you can find. Continues to be a summer bbq stable.
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6/26/2009 - FranckQc wrote: 91 Points
Très bon, beaucoup de fruits, doux dans la bouche, très bon pour le prix. Potentiel de garde.
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6/10/2009 - Duncan H wrote: 90 Points
Just perfect for a trip to the open-air opera with Mrs H on a slighly chilly English summer evening. Very full-on with intense blackcurrant, cassis and mint nose and a similar mouth-coating palate with warming alcohol.
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5/31/2009 - Pinot Evil wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits, licorice. Footbolt was the prize horse in the founder's stable, check out their website interesting history behind a great Austrailan winery.
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5/2/2009 - Duncan H wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic as ever. Mrs H said this was even better when finished off the following evening, so a real keeper.
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3/7/2009 - ICWHITE wrote: 85 Points
Dark, lustrous red; Spice and big fruit; Blackcurrants, Chocolate, Cedar, Leather; some length to finish; perfect with spaghetti bolognaise. Buy again.
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2/28/2009 - Duncan H wrote: 95 Points
Again exceptional value for money - same impression as when tasted previously (1/16/2009).
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1/28/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 89 Points
Big, bold wine! Tons of fruit on the nose and taste. Nice long finish. Very good for the price.
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1/16/2009 - Duncan H wrote: 94 Points
Very dark red with black patches. Intense nose of sweet dark fruit and oak. Very full palate with medium tannins and surprisingly good acidity - oak closes off the wine in mid-palate. Has the d'Arenberg hallmarks of very concentrated, sweet fruit and oakiness, but is a bit more balanced and fine than a lot of d'Arenbergs I've tasted. Beautiful to drink now, but will keep for at least eight years (tho' my wife wouldn't wait half that long, believing it would be past its best if left later).
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12/12/2008 - King Cab wrote: 94 Points
Dark and exotic, this seemed to have lots of breed, even a touch of a high end Cab/Shiraz blend going on. Wonderful dark cassis and kirsch, black cherries and scorched earth made this the real winner of the night. Lots of structure and pizzazz with the long smooth finish you would hope for. What a surprise when unveiled. It reminded me of Brokenwood’s Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz (5x the price). Well done! QPR Indeed. 94/100
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