excellent solid well aged cab with rich aged fruit and solid backbone. Great steak wine. Just got a few bottles on auction, so will write more reviews. Mclaren Vale is the unsung hero fo big grande red wines bang for the buck. Have always though so, but as the years go by and as I taste some older more mature ones, my respect just keeps going up. I've had it with lamb and pepperoni pizza and it went with both. Pepperoni pizza is generally a difficult pairing wih the tomatoes and all usually requiring an chianti or something of the sort, but this wine worked beautifully. Totally ready to drink, but I'd betting it has a a number of years to go.
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Not for those looking for well-aged, old-style Bordeaux, this stunning bottle of McLaren Vale cab is very much as Parker had it in ( (8/2003): "The Screaming Eagle of South Australia, it possesses great purity, layers of fruit, enormous volume and intensity, and at the same time, it is strikingly elegant and well-proportioned. This stunningly pure Cabernet tastes like pure creme de cassis intermixed with licorice and oak. It should drink well for 15-16 years,and..." We timed the finish at plus 60 seconds. Oh so seductive, seamless and utterly satisfying. This wine, (as represented in this bottle) has evolved beautifully from when we first tasted one over 10yrs ago. For its style, near perfect. Stored @55 degrees.
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based on prior reviews I was keen to try a bottle out of my cellar. I wasnt expecting much, but was very pleasantly surprised. This wine is far from over the hill. Lovely developed nose, plenty of fruit on the front and good follow thru to finish. typical McLaren CS fruit. Lovely wine. Not sure if it will improve, but should hold for several years.
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Still almost primary if that is possible. Fruit forward with elements of pepper and iodine, sweet black fruit. Great now, probably won't gain more character, but will drink well for the ext 10 years.
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Back, Back in the USofA (StrEat Restaurant, Austin, Texas): Aromatic, intense, complex. Shows an opaque robe of dark purple. Caramel, tobacco, black fruit, sweet cherries, vanilla, nougat, “raw batter,” dried green herbs/green vegetables/green beans and anise/mint/eucalyptus, with creaminess on the mid-palate and notable sweetness on the finish. Flight favorite of one group, but low rated in two other groups.
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Everyone should know right up front - this is an extraordinarily rich wine from start to finish. Big sweet scents of black raspberries, black cherries, and vanilla. On the first taste there is an overwhelming amount of dark black fruits, figs, and sweet meats. Then another wave of sweet vanillan oak and gobs of cassis. The finish was the drawback in this bottle - with a considerable amount of alcoholic heat that burns in the end. Our first bottle didn't have this and the lower score here reflects that. It was still a thrilling bottle, but missed that balance so vital to pair with food.
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Merry Christmas! Still almost black in color, nose full of ripe red fruit & bubble gum. Hints of wet cardboard. The cork fell apart and had to be pulled out. Nice tannins, and sweet, sweet, red fruit. Too sweet for my taste. Hints of cedar & tobacco. Nice mouth feel, but almost no acidity. Serving with prime rib, so maybe the salt will hide that, but not really a good food wine. I know Parker loved this stuff, but I'm less impressed.
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This is definitely a wine you will love or hate. An extraordinarily rich wine from start to finish. The nose just jumps from the glass and grabs you by the throat. Big sweet scents of blackberries, black cherries, and vanilla. On the first taste there is an overwhelming amount of dark black fruits, figs, and sweet meats. Then another wave of sweet vanillan oak and gobs of cassis. The finish was long and a beautiful mix of sweet tannins and another hot of the oak. As I said, not for everyone, but we thought it was simply fabulous. Shared with friends over the last grilling of the year -- NY strip sirloins, grilled potatoes and gelato. Absolutely exquisite.
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Rated for what it is.... A big boned, super saturated over the top fun wine. Big dark blueberry profile, with a complimentary big dose of toasty vanilla, and just enough structure to keep it from being just juice. shows no age at all. I liked it, but when I selected this I did not expect it to be a Bordeaux. I even wish I had more. Sometimes I really want this type of big extracted caricature of a wine. It can be very tolerant in varied food pairings (we had a Sirloin, with a potato/celery/ tomato stew and spicy rapini) and this wine very worked well.
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A total fruit bomb in the bonafide tradition of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. It was hard for me to tell this from their shiraz what with all the same flavor enhancements introduced to their familiar lineup of wines. I will admit that when I bought this I didn't know any better and gambled on Parker's score. But tasting this will confirm the "magic" that these so-called winemakers do to their barrels in order to accomplish the taste they are looking for. Good for them, bad for you at over $70/bottle. It drinks but don't go begging for this dog.
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Dark purple color; nose of coffee, licorice and black berries; typical over the top extraction on the palate with rich dark berry fruit flavors, candy and hints of smoky oak; long finish; just beginning to show its stuff and should get better with a few more years of bottle age.
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Initially, this wine seemed hot and unbalanced, which led everyone to tie it to Wine No. 2. With time in the bottle though, this improved a lot. This is a ripe, flavorful, full bodied Cab that tasted a lot like a Shiraz. I really liked it, which is a bit surprising given that I have been shying away from Aussie wines more and more in the last few years.
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Wineflock - Australian Cabernets (My House): Group #2, My #2 - Full deep red color. Big sweet round black fruit nose with bubblegum hints and some dusty toffee. Big black round fruit with coffee, cola, and black spice notes. Long asphalt finish. Plenty of tannin - this one could use some time.
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I was the lone dissenter on this - found the nose extremely offputting with lots of caramel, oak and a plastic-like note. Better on the palate with a very full, rich mouthfeel, sweet dark fruits but still far too much oak for my liking. (Group #2, my #12)
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Wine #2. Inky black with ruby hues. A whiff at this wine reveals its identity without a doubt. Dominated by toffee/caramel, the nose is very forgettable and rather unappealling. I am growing tired of these types of noses. The palate, on the other hand, is very enjoyable, with cascades of fruit, concentrated flavors and a lush texture. Oh well, you sometimes cannot have it all. 83 for the nose, 93 for the palate.
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Drank with my girlfriend and her parents at their home.
Inky black purple color. Very mono dimensional nose of over ripe (cokked) blueberries. Very full bodied, a little flabby with surprisingly fine tannin and a very fruity although over-ripe finish. I frankly expected to be wowed by this given the Parker score, but wasn't. I am becoming less and less fond of over the top, over ripe Australian wines. If this is anything similar to Screaming Eagle like Parker says, I just saved myself one thousand dollars. More and more, I am starting to expect aromatic diversity in a wine in order to like it a lot.
NOTE: There was a ton of sediment leftover in the bottle.
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Wonderful. Full of fruit and extremely mellow. Mouth full of texture. jammy, chewy, Aussie fruit bomb, but in a good way. Think ofwhat Cabernet flavored Starburst would tast like. My only knock on it is that it was too mellow. Like it's same vinage Shiraz/Syrah, I don't think this think will go the distance. Drink now.
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Opened at dinner. Dark purple, thick in the glass. Dense, but balanced and somehow light on its legs. Flavors of cassis, coconut, butter (from a red!), oak. A little sweet. The alcohol was well-concealed; no heat. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Some question whether it was closed; it didn't move all night, although it was decanted. Not the Aussie fruit bomb one might expect, but not delicate.
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2/23/2024 - ophelia Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent solid well aged cab with rich aged fruit and solid backbone.
Great steak wine.
Just got a few bottles on auction, so will write more reviews.
Mclaren Vale is the unsung hero fo big grande red wines bang for the buck.
Have always though so, but as the years go by and as I taste some older more mature ones, my respect just keeps going up.
I've had it with lamb and pepperoni pizza and it went with both. Pepperoni pizza is generally a difficult pairing wih the tomatoes and all usually requiring an chianti or something of the sort, but this wine worked beautifully.
Totally ready to drink, but I'd betting it has a a number of years to go.
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4/9/2022 - MoreWinePlease Likes this wine: 98 Points
Not for those looking for well-aged, old-style Bordeaux, this stunning bottle of McLaren Vale cab is very much as Parker had it in ( (8/2003): "The Screaming Eagle of South Australia, it possesses great purity, layers of fruit, enormous volume and intensity, and at the same time, it is strikingly elegant and well-proportioned. This stunningly pure Cabernet tastes like pure creme de cassis intermixed with licorice and oak. It should drink well for 15-16 years,and..." We timed the finish at plus 60 seconds. Oh so seductive, seamless and utterly satisfying. This wine, (as represented in this bottle) has evolved beautifully from when we first tasted one over 10yrs ago. For its style, near perfect. Stored @55 degrees.
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2/8/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: flawed
Too tired for all the fruit left. Not for me...
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5/25/2020 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful dark fruit, multiple layers of secondary notes, sweet tannins, smooth mouthfeel, long finish. A really great McLaren Vale cabernet.
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7/18/2019 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very vibrant, dark, dark color, deep fruit, secondaty notes, long finish. Very nice wine.
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2/23/2019 - herzog330 wrote: flawed
Corked.
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2/9/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 86 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Cabernet (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in Cabernet from around the world tasting. Roasted black fruit and roasted meat. Fully mature. Well past its peak.
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1/4/2017 - salua wrote: 91 Points
based on prior reviews I was keen to try a bottle out of my cellar. I wasnt expecting much, but was very pleasantly surprised. This wine is far from over the hill. Lovely developed nose, plenty of fruit on the front and good follow thru to finish. typical McLaren CS fruit. Lovely wine. Not sure if it will improve, but should hold for several years.
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11/11/2016 - JNgai wrote: 85 Points
Disappointed. Unbalanced.
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6/22/2016 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Day 2 open. Stewed fruit aromas. Showing some signs of oxidation. Rich fruit palate, nice acid, but definitely past its drinking window.
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1/1/2015 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better after being opened for some time, still you get the notion that Aussie Cab isn't as age worthy as the Shiraz!
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10/4/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Such a great soft gorgeous Aussie cabernet!
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3/21/2014 - WStucker wrote: 92 Points
Still a very massive cab, definately Australian. Needs atleast 2 hours in the decantur to show it's best.
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11/25/2011 - WStucker wrote: 93 Points
Still almost primary if that is possible. Fruit forward with elements of pepper and iodine, sweet black fruit. Great now, probably won't gain more character, but will drink well for the ext 10 years.
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6/11/2011 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Back, Back in the USofA (StrEat Restaurant, Austin, Texas): Aromatic, intense, complex. Shows an opaque robe of dark purple. Caramel, tobacco, black fruit, sweet cherries, vanilla, nougat, “raw batter,” dried green herbs/green vegetables/green beans and anise/mint/eucalyptus, with creaminess on the mid-palate and notable sweetness on the finish. Flight favorite of one group, but low rated in two other groups.
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5/24/2011 - TMacpherson wrote: 94 Points
Everyone should know right up front - this is an extraordinarily rich wine from start to finish. Big sweet scents of black raspberries, black cherries, and vanilla. On the first taste there is an overwhelming amount of dark black fruits, figs, and sweet meats. Then another wave of sweet vanillan oak and gobs of cassis. The finish was the drawback in this bottle - with a considerable amount of alcoholic heat that burns in the end. Our first bottle didn't have this and the lower score here reflects that. It was still a thrilling bottle, but missed that balance so vital to pair with food.
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12/27/2010 - mwanasheria wrote: 91 Points
Sweet, red fruit, cassis, earth, truffles.
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12/25/2010 - lshantz wrote: 86 Points
Merry Christmas! Still almost black in color, nose full of ripe red fruit & bubble gum. Hints of wet cardboard. The cork fell apart and had to be pulled out. Nice tannins, and sweet, sweet, red fruit. Too sweet for my taste. Hints of cedar & tobacco. Nice mouth feel, but almost no acidity. Serving with prime rib, so maybe the salt will hide that, but not really a good food wine. I know Parker loved this stuff, but I'm less impressed.
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10/21/2010 - TMacpherson Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is definitely a wine you will love or hate. An extraordinarily rich wine from start to finish. The nose just jumps from the glass and grabs you by the throat. Big sweet scents of blackberries, black cherries, and vanilla. On the first taste there is an overwhelming amount of dark black fruits, figs, and sweet meats. Then another wave of sweet vanillan oak and gobs of cassis. The finish was long and a beautiful mix of sweet tannins and another hot of the oak. As I said, not for everyone, but we thought it was simply fabulous. Shared with friends over the last grilling of the year -- NY strip sirloins, grilled potatoes and gelato. Absolutely exquisite.
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1/16/2010 - gzim wrote: 92 Points
Rated for what it is.... A big boned, super saturated over the top fun wine. Big dark blueberry profile, with a complimentary big dose of toasty vanilla, and just enough structure to keep it from being just juice. shows no age at all.
I liked it, but when I selected this I did not expect it to be a Bordeaux.
I even wish I had more. Sometimes I really want this type of big extracted caricature of a wine. It can be very tolerant in varied food pairings (we had a Sirloin, with a potato/celery/ tomato stew and spicy rapini) and this wine very worked well.
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10/2/2009 - t4drman wrote: 80 Points
A total fruit bomb in the bonafide tradition of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. It was hard for me to tell this from their shiraz what with all the same flavor enhancements introduced to their familiar lineup of wines. I will admit that when I bought this I didn't know any better and gambled on Parker's score. But tasting this will confirm the "magic" that these so-called winemakers do to their barrels in order to accomplish the taste they are looking for. Good for them, bad for you at over $70/bottle. It drinks but don't go begging for this dog.
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5/6/2009 - knelsfk wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple color; nose of coffee, licorice and black berries; typical over the top extraction on the palate with rich dark berry fruit flavors, candy and hints of smoky oak; long finish; just beginning to show its stuff and should get better with a few more years of bottle age.
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5/23/2008 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
2002 Pride Vintner's Select Merlot, 2001 Pride Cab, 2002 Shirvington Cab & 2004 Mitolo GAM (Monterrey, Mexico): Wine No. 4
Initially, this wine seemed hot and unbalanced, which led everyone to tie it to Wine No. 2. With time in the bottle though, this improved a lot. This is a ripe, flavorful, full bodied Cab that tasted a lot like a Shiraz. I really liked it, which is a bit surprising given that I have been shying away from Aussie wines more and more in the last few years.
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1/24/2008 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Wineflock - Australian Cabernets (My House): Group #2, My #2 - Full deep red color. Big sweet round black fruit nose with bubblegum hints and some dusty toffee. Big black round fruit with coffee, cola, and black spice notes. Long asphalt finish. Plenty of tannin - this one could use some time.
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1/24/2008 - salil wrote: 85 Points
I was the lone dissenter on this - found the nose extremely offputting with lots of caramel, oak and a plastic-like note. Better on the palate with a very full, rich mouthfeel, sweet dark fruits but still far too much oak for my liking. (Group #2, my #12)
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7/6/2007 - WStucker wrote: 94 Points
Leave for another 3 years. Left with the cork out for 24 hors, but really opened up after 2 hours inthe decanter.
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4/19/2007 - hcampana wrote: 88 Points
Cabs from 3 countries: '99 Montrose, '02 Shirvington Cab & '95 Beringer PR (Monterrey, Mexico): Had with dinner @ Pangea with Chuck, Tijerina and Victor Mohammar (Davisa).
Wine #2. Inky black with ruby hues. A whiff at this wine reveals its identity without a doubt. Dominated by toffee/caramel, the nose is very forgettable and rather unappealling. I am growing tired of these types of noses. The palate, on the other hand, is very enjoyable, with cascades of fruit, concentrated flavors and a lush texture. Oh well, you sometimes cannot have it all. 83 for the nose, 93 for the palate.
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3/19/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Vanilla, dark fruits, sweet oak, and a long finish. Excellent!
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12/26/2006 - hcampana wrote: 88 Points
Drank with my girlfriend and her parents at their home.
Inky black purple color. Very mono dimensional nose of over ripe (cokked) blueberries. Very full bodied, a little flabby with surprisingly fine tannin and a very fruity although over-ripe finish. I frankly expected to be wowed by this given the Parker score, but wasn't. I am becoming less and less fond of over the top, over ripe Australian wines. If this is anything similar to Screaming Eagle like Parker says, I just saved myself one thousand dollars. More and more, I am starting to expect aromatic diversity in a wine in order to like it a lot.
NOTE: There was a ton of sediment leftover in the bottle.
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12/16/2006 - lshantz wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful. Full of fruit and extremely mellow. Mouth full of texture. jammy, chewy, Aussie fruit bomb, but in a good way. Think ofwhat Cabernet flavored Starburst would tast like. My only knock on it is that it was too mellow. Like it's same vinage Shiraz/Syrah, I don't think this think will go the distance. Drink now.
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2/27/2005 - anthonyiez wrote: 87 Points
first off bottle of shirvington i have ever had. hot and very disjointed. will revisit in a year.
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10/31/2004 - ChrisR wrote: 93 Points
Opened at dinner. Dark purple, thick in the glass. Dense, but balanced and somehow light on its legs. Flavors of cassis, coconut, butter (from a red!), oak. A little sweet. The alcohol was well-concealed; no heat. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Some question whether it was closed; it didn't move all night, although it was decanted. Not the Aussie fruit bomb one might expect, but not delicate.
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