Not the most impressive one and definitely less than I was expecting. No complexity but reasonable length and depth. Wouldn’t rush back to buy it again
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Blackberry, smoke, savoury wet gravel, with some band-aid and barnyard overtones.
The brettiness doesn’t seem to hurt the wine on the palate, rather it complements the savoury fruit. Despite being 12 years old, the wine retains a firm structure with quite forceful, grainy tannins. A ferrous note builds with breathing.
Opinion: Certainly not fruity, the wine is savoury and structured, but well composed. The bretty character dissipates with air. The wine looks better on day 3 than day 1, so give it plenty of air. It wouldn’t surprise me if this wine continues to develop and drink well for the next 15 years. However I intend to drink over the next 6.
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Restrained nose, flint, charcoal, chocolate, purple fruit. Became more fruity dominant with airing time palate: medium weight, blueberry, chocolate finish: long, slightly tannic, choc-mint In a balanced drinking spot with primary and secondary but can see an upside to leave it for another 2-3 years Excellent MR shiraz
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Heaps enjoyable but I'm really struggling to describe or even score this, which is unusual. Savoury meaty beefy blueberry and blackberry. Pepper, liquorice, iodine in there too. A little grainy tannin, balance fine. Either in transition, perhaps to something as special as in its youth, but different, or a couple of years past its best... I think likely the latter, but truly could be the former, especially as it didn't budge or deteriorate over five hours today... I simply don't know!
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Classy stuff, just keeps getting better. In a really good place right now. Still has that lovely balance between fruit and secondary. Well structured, has time ahead of it.
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Sullen and brooding nose of pastels and potpourri. Gentle fine sandy tannins sweeping underneath flavours of charcuterie and blood plum. A keeper for sure. In a very good place right now, but more to come. Next bottle in 2017-2018.
Reticent on the nose, but gradually opens up to reveal a bucket of mashed berries, pepper, and oak-derived spice.
Flavours track the nose closely, joined by some 5-spice and some wild animale complexity. Structurally, the wine is still tannic, with unforced acidity, leading to average length.
Opinion: This impressed far more upon release, though it’s not exactly a disappointment now either. Just nothing special. More time seems to be needed, however the bretty barnyard characters are a worry for extended aging. Right now, goes well with robust and rustic meat dishes.
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Still has a dark core. Loads of perfumed blue and black fruits. The palate is balanced, medium to full bodied, with dusty tannins, spice and touches of liquorice. Held up well on day 2 also.
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On opening this has little fruit and persistent drying tannin, after an hour and a half in a decanter it is all dark savoury fruit with a long enjoyable finish. Superb.
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Developed superbly in the glass. Losing some colour, a reddish hue. Lovely ripe nose, with some liquorice coming through as the wine opened up. The palate is medium weight and full of dark fruit with some savoury development. Fine and persistent tannin. This probably has time to go but drinking beautifully now with a lovely balance of primary and secondary elements.
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Screwcap. Dense crimson-purple; spicy fruit aromas on the bouquet, then a voluptuous palate with multiple flavours of spice, licorice and both red and black fruits; exemplary oak and tannin support.
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Medium bodied. Fruit driven with a pleasing savoury edge. Red berry jubes, fennel and new leather surrounded by quality oak. A polished wine with a nice line and refined finish. I'm not well versed in Margaret River shiraz, but this comes across as a 'winemakers wine'; not a wine that stays true to its region and vineyard. Drinking well now, will be interesting to watch this develop as it certainly has the structure.
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Ripe but not over ripe black fruits, some blueberry, liquorice, spice. Lots of white pepper. White peppery tannins too. Very long. Yum. Night two, blueberry shines brightest, some of the finest ripest blueberry I have ever tasted outside of freshly picked blueberries straight off the plant, blackberry in second place, somewhat sweeter than first night. Have to work hard to get much from the nose, mostly blueberry and some Margaret River bush. Balance just so, tastes exquisite.
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Very aromatic nose, big fruit that just wrestles you down immediateley.. Eucaluptys. Powerful in the mouth with some tannins left and a nice balanced acidity to go with it. Nice!
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Blimey. This is really nice - absolutely ram-packed with fruit and aromas but held back and harnessed, giving this quite a cool and elegant feel to it. Of course, elegance is all relative - still a big wine, but what it has is an almost toothpaste like freshness - a lot of minty aromas here and polished dark fruit - no rough edges or searing alcohol here - just a well crafted wine with a long life ahead of it. Excellent. Drinking well now, but 5 more years in bottle will really knock this into shape.
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All primary fruits and cracked white pepper on the nose and palate. Offers good balance, but I expected a lot more from this given the hype. Too young perhaps? I have a few more bottles and plan on revisiting this in a year or so.
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Astonishing wine. This would have to be the best value wine I've ever had. Can see why all the critics loved it, including all the comparisons with Grange. Out of the bottle this wine was drinking beautifully. Silky smooth with white pepper that reminded me of a top Adelaide Hills shiraz. Tasted on 2nd night and the wine had closed down. Drink now or hold for 5yrs.
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7/25/2021 - RobertLA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not the most impressive one and definitely less than I was expecting. No complexity but reasonable length and depth. Wouldn’t rush back to buy it again
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8/20/2020 - Michael Brooks Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely delicious-
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2/29/2020 - mphatic wrote:
Screwcap, 14% alc., Dark, glossy crimson red.
Blackberry, smoke, savoury wet gravel, with some band-aid and barnyard overtones.
The brettiness doesn’t seem to hurt the wine on the palate, rather it complements the savoury fruit. Despite being 12 years old, the wine retains a firm structure with quite forceful, grainy tannins. A ferrous note builds with breathing.
Opinion: Certainly not fruity, the wine is savoury and structured, but well composed. The bretty character dissipates with air. The wine looks better on day 3 than day 1, so give it plenty of air. It wouldn’t surprise me if this wine continues to develop and drink well for the next 15 years. However I intend to drink over the next 6.
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11/15/2019 - ShirazTrain wrote: 93 Points
Restrained nose, flint, charcoal, chocolate, purple fruit.
Became more fruity dominant with airing time
palate: medium weight, blueberry, chocolate
finish: long, slightly tannic, choc-mint
In a balanced drinking spot with primary and secondary but can see an upside to leave it for another 2-3 years
Excellent MR shiraz
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9/10/2017 - Avid Wino wrote: 91 Points
Heaps enjoyable but I'm really struggling to describe or even score this, which is unusual. Savoury meaty beefy blueberry and blackberry. Pepper, liquorice, iodine in there too. A little grainy tannin, balance fine. Either in transition, perhaps to something as special as in its youth, but different, or a couple of years past its best... I think likely the latter, but truly could be the former, especially as it didn't budge or deteriorate over five hours today... I simply don't know!
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6/11/2017 - majamke wrote: 86 Points
Fruit fading to a hollow wine lacking tertiary development. Past it's prime. I don't see how this will improve.
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2/24/2016 - Gritty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classy stuff, just keeps getting better. In a really good place right now. Still has that lovely balance between fruit and secondary. Well structured, has time ahead of it.
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1/30/2016 - majamke Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sullen and brooding nose of pastels and potpourri. Gentle fine sandy tannins sweeping underneath flavours of charcuterie and blood plum. A keeper for sure. In a very good place right now, but more to come. Next bottle in 2017-2018.
Tasted alongside 2007 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz, 2007 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz.
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6/27/2015 - wineian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking better than a year ago. Tight dark berries, Splash of pepper and spice. Nice balance.
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4/8/2015 - mphatic wrote:
Screwcap, 14% alc. Amazing, deep, dense purple red.
Reticent on the nose, but gradually opens up to reveal a bucket of mashed berries, pepper, and oak-derived spice.
Flavours track the nose closely, joined by some 5-spice and some wild animale complexity. Structurally, the wine is still tannic, with unforced acidity, leading to average length.
Opinion: This impressed far more upon release, though it’s not exactly a disappointment now either. Just nothing special. More time seems to be needed, however the bretty barnyard characters are a worry for extended aging. Right now, goes well with robust and rustic meat dishes.
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2/18/2015 - Edouard84 Likes this wine: 90 Points
No formal notes as this was the end of the dinner ...
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11/19/2014 - fizz wrote: 91 Points
Still has a dark core. Loads of perfumed blue and black fruits. The palate is balanced, medium to full bodied, with dusty tannins, spice and touches of liquorice. Held up well on day 2 also.
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7/6/2014 - Julian B Likes this wine: 93 Points
On opening this has little fruit and persistent drying tannin, after an hour and a half in a decanter it is all dark savoury fruit with a long enjoyable finish. Superb.
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5/2/2014 - wineian wrote: 87 Points
Blood purple/red colour, tightly wound berries with pepper and hint of aniseed. Nice wine but drying finish distracts.
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4/30/2014 - Gritty Likes this wine: 91 Points
Developed superbly in the glass. Losing some colour, a reddish hue. Lovely ripe nose, with some liquorice coming through as the wine opened up. The palate is medium weight and full of dark fruit with some savoury development. Fine and persistent tannin. This probably has time to go but drinking beautifully now with a lovely balance of primary and secondary elements.
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11/2/2013 - mphatic wrote:
Screwcap. Dense crimson-purple; spicy fruit aromas on the bouquet, then a voluptuous palate with multiple flavours of spice, licorice and both red and black fruits; exemplary oak and tannin support.
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7/31/2013 - Julian B Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb drop that has plenty of life left. Lots of dark cherry, plums and a little liquorice with fine dusty tannins.
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11/10/2012 - majamke Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium bodied. Fruit driven with a pleasing savoury edge. Red berry jubes, fennel and new leather surrounded by quality oak. A polished wine with a nice line and refined finish. I'm not well versed in Margaret River shiraz, but this comes across as a 'winemakers wine'; not a wine that stays true to its region and vineyard. Drinking well now, will be interesting to watch this develop as it certainly has the structure.
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10/28/2012 - Gritty wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful. Black fruits, quite spicy with liquorice still prominent. A tannic backbone, this should age really well.
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7/6/2012 - Avid Wino wrote: 94 Points
Ripe but not over ripe black fruits, some blueberry, liquorice, spice. Lots of white pepper. White peppery tannins too. Very long. Yum. Night two, blueberry shines brightest, some of the finest ripest blueberry I have ever tasted outside of freshly picked blueberries straight off the plant, blackberry in second place, somewhat sweeter than first night. Have to work hard to get much from the nose, mostly blueberry and some Margaret River bush. Balance just so, tastes exquisite.
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3/24/2012 - Gritty wrote: 89 Points
Lovely black fruit nose. Medium bodied, spice and some licorice on the palate
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3/6/2012 - fizz wrote: 89 Points
Full flavoured wine but uni-dimensional. Where will this go in the next few years?
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11/23/2011 - azzah wrote: 90 Points
Lots of black fruits, spice and a hint of pepper. Mouthfilling and good length. I just found it a tad unexciting.
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2/24/2011 - Bisty Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very aromatic nose, big fruit that just wrestles you down immediateley.. Eucaluptys. Powerful in the mouth with some tannins left and a nice balanced acidity to go with it. Nice!
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10/27/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Blimey. This is really nice - absolutely ram-packed with fruit and aromas but held back and harnessed, giving this quite a cool and elegant feel to it. Of course, elegance is all relative - still a big wine, but what it has is an almost toothpaste like freshness - a lot of minty aromas here and polished dark fruit - no rough edges or searing alcohol here - just a well crafted wine with a long life ahead of it. Excellent. Drinking well now, but 5 more years in bottle will really knock this into shape.
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8/28/2010 - majamke wrote: 89 Points
All primary fruits and cracked white pepper on the nose and palate. Offers good balance, but I expected a lot more from this given the hype. Too young perhaps? I have a few more bottles and plan on revisiting this in a year or so.
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5/16/2010 - tonsta wrote: 94 Points
Astonishing wine. This would have to be the best value wine I've ever had. Can see why all the critics loved it, including all the comparisons with Grange.
Out of the bottle this wine was drinking beautifully. Silky smooth with white pepper that reminded me of a top Adelaide Hills shiraz.
Tasted on 2nd night and the wine had closed down.
Drink now or hold for 5yrs.
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