- Garnet color. It's lacking fruit - At first I thought I may have pushed the cellaring too far but not so. It may be the shortest day today however this wine is anything than short. Tannins still dominate even after using the aerator. The jammy fruit has mellowed. Some pepper remnants. It's a great winter drink with bones. Don't try this with your ling fish fillets, it needed four legs and horns at some stage to match this full bodied, rich McLaren Vale red. Great value.
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Aromas of ripe strawberries, red raspberries, and cherries. Concentrated jammy flavors of raspberries and dark cherry come through with just a touch of spiced wood. A full bodied wine. Finish is somewhat awkward, not bad just a bit off. Overall there is some fake hi-c taste to this that prevents it from being really good. ($12)
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We opened this wine after a long spell. The nose still appears to be intake with dark caramel notes, think suger daddy candies, vanilla, coco, and a strong note of alcohol.
Astringent, but still hanging on to texture and body. Fruit is gone, but a sweet complexity under the dryness.
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Finally opened this wine after holding since '05. Decanted through a filter and glad I did... loads of sediment. I did pour a taste from the bottle first. Inky color, intense jam like fruit on the nose and on the palate with firm tannins that were not well integrated right out of the bottle. After a 1 hour decant the tannins merged well with the fruit and pepper notes. Next day the tannins had mellowed, but were not by any means lost. Would try this again without hesitation.
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Red garnett in color. Nose hints of spice, bell pepper and florals, not a strong fruit component. Mouth feel is light bodied. Palate is more cherries with some blackberry and a hint of powdered mocha with oak finishing things off. This one is okay but seems to be a bit passed its prime.
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I enjoy this a lot, but if I had more of them, I wouldn't keep them much longer. This is best right out of the bottle. Medium bodied for the genre. Smooth pepper and hints of menthol over dark fruit of medium depth. The finish is surprisingly long, attacking the nasal cavity as opposed to coating the mouth. Time in the glass / air hurts this wine, as it seems to fall apart quite quickly. The first splash in the glass is probably a "90". Caveat: this was stored in relatively warm / less-than-ideal conditions.
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Almost one year after last tasting and it is consistent with previous notes, perhaps a little softer but really good to go now and a good Auusie Syrah.
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Decent for the price shiraz. Somewhat full on the nose with fruit which was a little dissapointing on the palate as it didn't seem to have the same muscle. However, once over the initial letdown, was a pleasant experience and a typical shiraz. No subtlety or layering, straightforward and good.
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Kaboom. Deceptive nose (was a bit cold still) but maximum good ol' Shiraz after that. Quite alcoholic (you can definitely taste the 14.5%) but well balanced tannins and the alcohol is nicely wraooed into the fruit. Very spicy finish.
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Black core with no fading toward the rim of the glass. Nose of ripe black fruits, sweet raspberry jam and smoky oak. Round and concentrated palate with flavours of plum, blackberry, cassis and raspberries, balanced acidity and soft tannins. A warm finish follows.
Consumed from a bottle opened 24 hours ago. A firm 90+ points.
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A fruit bomb. Dark ripe berries on the nose. Blueberry syrup up front with very little on the end. Serious residual sugar. A touch of black pepper is the only Shiraz-like charecteristic that this wine has going for it. A sharp bit of tannin suggests this may calm down with another year or two in the cellar, but why waste the space.
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Thin, tart, never really opened up even after a few hours. Seemed closed the whole night. Couldn't find the character, fruit, and complexity everyone else seemed to find.
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V. good. Notes of licorice with a touch of cassis. Also, very smooth on the finish. I only had one glass since my spouse decided to fall in love with it and drink the rest before i finished mine. Enjoyed nonetheless.
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Fruit bomb on the nose. Pretty powerful Shiraz. No subtlety here. Good finish with not a lot of tannin. Overall enjoyable but perhaps would over power a lot of food pairings. Enjoyed slighty less than last tasting but still nice and drinkable.
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Dark color and a lot of fruit on the nose. Also pretty fruit forward and although a typical Aussie Shiraz, this one's a lot less in your face and easy drinking. Really needs no cellaring, just open and enjoy.
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Blackberry and pepper on the nose, with mint and tartness added to the palette. A bit hot at first but leveled off with an hour of breathing. Brilliant with chicken tikka masala, bringing out the spice heat in the dish and really kicking it up.
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Wine was closed, likely to be blamed on inadequate breathing time and wrong glasses (Burgundy O's). Rich and deep, but without the fruit that I had experienced in other tastings.
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This is a neat wine. Another winner from d-Arenberg. It's pretty fruit forward on the nose -- black currant. It's got some powerful spice to it, too -- black pepper for sure, maybe even an herbal minty quality. But herbal minty in a eucalyptus kind of way, not in a toothpaste kind of way. :o) Salud!
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Big Aussie Shiraz. Huge fruit, smoke, leather, chocolate, wood, and a little mint. Interesting, to be sure. A little hot--lots of alcohol-- with a finish shorter than exptected.
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Didn't wow me like the 2002 did last year - thinner and more tart. Dark fruits and a hint of chocolate. Didn't impress anyone at dinner, but we DID finish the bottle.
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Dark purple; drunk over three days. Aroma hot, cassis; improved on 3rd day, less heat, with notes of dark berry and vanilla cream. A lot of heat on the palate, spicy, more tart than I would have expected, not complex, but not thin.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color, with simple red fruit, raspberry ad cherry notes and flavors. A bit of pepper on the finish. 87-89 pts. $13.99.
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Peppery, medicinal, chocolate, blackberries and blackcurrant. Oaky. Fairly acidic and a little hot and tart on the finish. Vaguely reminiscent of the 1999 Dead Arm but lighter in body.
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My notes roughly seem to match Barbara B's. This lively, coffee-laden Shiraz is a little more tart than you'd expect from this grape, and there's a slightly medicinal edge to it. Still, this is a fair value for about $13, showing a good range of flavors from blackberry to mint, cocoa to "Mr. Pibb," along with the aforementioned coffee. You can feel the 14.5% alcohol, but the heat is kept pretty well in check on the finish. Simple but decent stuff, at least for a summer picnic or to accompany Five Guys' burgers.
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Visual: Purple with ruby rim, dense. Nose: Smoky, oaky, lots of fruit, mint, floral; very nice. Palate: Tart acidity, low tannins, perception of moderate alcohol although it is declared at 14.5%, weighty. Overall: Big concentration, but lacking length and complexity (but not atypical for the variety).
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Delicious, but expensive. Ripe berry fruit aroma tingles your nose. Taste is intense with flavors of wood, chocolate, and jam. Complexity gained upon opening.
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6/21/2013 - Rayden wrote: 88 Points
- Garnet color. It's lacking fruit - At first I thought I may have pushed the cellaring too far but not so. It may be the shortest day today however this wine is anything than short. Tannins still dominate even after using the aerator. The jammy fruit has mellowed. Some pepper remnants. It's a great winter drink with bones. Don't try this with your ling fish fillets, it needed four legs and horns at some stage to match this full bodied, rich McLaren Vale red. Great value.
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2/3/2011 - ecola wrote: 87 Points
Aromas of ripe strawberries, red raspberries, and cherries. Concentrated jammy flavors of raspberries and dark cherry come through with just a touch of spiced wood. A full bodied wine. Finish is somewhat awkward, not bad just a bit off. Overall there is some fake hi-c taste to this that prevents it from being really good. ($12)
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10/9/2010 - trimbletodd Likes this wine: 85 Points
We opened this wine after a long spell. The nose still appears to be intake with dark caramel notes, think suger daddy candies, vanilla, coco, and a strong note of alcohol.
Astringent, but still hanging on to texture and body. Fruit is gone, but a sweet complexity under the dryness.
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7/12/2010 - rhodyjoe wrote: 89 Points
Finally opened this wine after holding since '05. Decanted through a filter and glad I did... loads of sediment. I did pour a taste from the bottle first. Inky color, intense jam like fruit on the nose and on the palate with firm tannins that were not well integrated right out of the bottle. After a 1 hour decant the tannins merged well with the fruit and pepper notes. Next day the tannins had mellowed, but were not by any means lost. Would try this again without hesitation.
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4/25/2010 - stercomm wrote: 87 Points
Red garnett in color. Nose hints of spice, bell pepper and florals, not a strong fruit component. Mouth feel is light bodied. Palate is more cherries with some blackberry and a hint of powdered mocha with oak finishing things off. This one is okay but seems to be a bit passed its prime.
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3/3/2010 - curtiy wrote: 85 Points
Simple aussie shiraz. Dark fruit, some leather and spice on palate. Medium finish. Decent not great.
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6/11/2009 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 82 Points
Unfortunately too sweet for me. I am not so much into alcoholic liquid rum-plum-marmalade. My poor teeth!
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2/22/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 88 Points
I enjoy this a lot, but if I had more of them, I wouldn't keep them much longer. This is best right out of the bottle. Medium bodied for the genre. Smooth pepper and hints of menthol over dark fruit of medium depth. The finish is surprisingly long, attacking the nasal cavity as opposed to coating the mouth. Time in the glass / air hurts this wine, as it seems to fall apart quite quickly. The first splash in the glass is probably a "90". Caveat: this was stored in relatively warm / less-than-ideal conditions.
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1/1/2009 - golfhawk wrote: 87 Points
This was not a typical fruit bomb from Aust. It had big red fruit but I felt that it wasn't as overextracted as most shiraz's.
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12/23/2008 - Niagara wrote: 84 Points
Nondescript but inoffensive.
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9/20/2008 - florida wine guy wrote: 79 Points
It was just ok.
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6/29/2008 - Stealthwine wrote: 87 Points
Aussie Shiraz from opening to tossing the bottle. Inky dark color, lots of fruit and a medium finish.
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5/30/2008 - n8540 wrote: 85 Points
Fruity and dark, with some leather on the nose and palette. Not overly complex, but pretty good balance. A little hot, but a solid offering.
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5/22/2008 - Stealthwine wrote: 87 Points
Consistent with previous. Deep, dark and full of fruit.
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5/14/2008 - Stealthwine wrote: 87 Points
Almost one year after last tasting and it is consistent with previous notes, perhaps a little softer but really good to go now and a good Auusie Syrah.
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4/19/2008 - dirtyharry wrote: 87 Points
Typical Aussie shiraz, lots of fruit & alcohol,smoky oak, hot finish.
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3/31/2008 - Guitar George wrote: 87 Points
Decent for the price shiraz. Somewhat full on the nose with fruit which was a little dissapointing on the palate as it didn't seem to have the same muscle. However, once over the initial letdown, was a pleasant experience and a typical shiraz. No subtlety or layering, straightforward and good.
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1/12/2008 - matrask wrote: 88 Points
Kaboom. Deceptive nose (was a bit cold still) but maximum good ol' Shiraz after that. Quite alcoholic (you can definitely taste the 14.5%) but well balanced tannins and the alcohol is nicely wraooed into the fruit. Very spicy finish.
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1/1/2008 - Vinoguy wrote: 90 Points
Black core with no fading toward the rim of the glass. Nose of ripe black fruits, sweet raspberry jam and smoky oak. Round and concentrated palate with flavours of plum, blackberry, cassis and raspberries, balanced acidity and soft tannins. A warm finish follows.
Consumed from a bottle opened 24 hours ago. A firm 90+ points.
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11/20/2007 - jlib77 wrote: 89 Points
Nice sweet cherry, cedar and a soft peppery finish, great balance for an easy drinking wine- much better than I remembered.
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10/30/2007 - jnastynebr wrote: 80 Points
A fruit bomb. Dark ripe berries on the nose. Blueberry syrup up front with very little on the end. Serious residual sugar. A touch of black pepper is the only Shiraz-like charecteristic that this wine has going for it. A sharp bit of tannin suggests this may calm down with another year or two in the cellar, but why waste the space.
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10/16/2007 - J2K wrote: 82 Points
Thin, tart, never really opened up even after a few hours. Seemed closed the whole night. Couldn't find the character, fruit, and complexity everyone else seemed to find.
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9/2/2007 - Always4wine wrote: 88 Points
V. good. Notes of licorice with a touch of cassis. Also, very smooth on the finish. I only had one glass since my spouse decided to fall in love with it and drink the rest before i finished mine. Enjoyed nonetheless.
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7/23/2007 - kanwingshing wrote: 85 Points
very standard australian shiraz style. Ripe fruit all the way. Lacks concentration on pallet and short on finish as well
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6/24/2007 - Stealthwine wrote: 86 Points
Fruit bomb on the nose. Pretty powerful Shiraz. No subtlety here. Good finish with not a lot of tannin. Overall enjoyable but perhaps would over power a lot of food pairings. Enjoyed slighty less than last tasting but still nice and drinkable.
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5/4/2007 - Stealthwine wrote: 87 Points
Dark color and a lot of fruit on the nose. Also pretty fruit forward and although a typical Aussie Shiraz, this one's a lot less in your face and easy drinking. Really needs no cellaring, just open and enjoy.
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4/4/2007 - GuBe wrote: 90 Points
Bláberjasulta. Karamella og vottur af anís. Afar mjúkt og gott.
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3/29/2007 - boegemann wrote: 87 Points
Blackberry and pepper on the nose, with mint and tartness added to the palette. A bit hot at first but leveled off with an hour of breathing. Brilliant with chicken tikka masala, bringing out the spice heat in the dish and really kicking it up.
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3/25/2007 - pfleeg wrote: flawed
Cork looked fine but wine was flawed. Tasted very bitter, verging on vinegar.
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2/3/2007 - mlgold2b wrote: 87 Points
Wine was closed, likely to be blamed on inadequate breathing time and wrong glasses (Burgundy O's). Rich and deep, but without the fruit that I had experienced in other tastings.
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2/3/2007 - GuBe wrote: 90 Points
Mög gott, aniskeimur. Mjög þétt og fínt.
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1/4/2007 - armchairsommelier wrote: 86 Points
This is a neat wine. Another winner from d-Arenberg. It's pretty fruit forward on the nose -- black currant. It's got some powerful spice to it, too -- black pepper for sure, maybe even an herbal minty quality. But herbal minty in a eucalyptus kind of way, not in a toothpaste kind of way. :o) Salud!
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12/30/2006 - suzanna9452000 wrote:
Big Aussie Shiraz. Huge fruit, smoke, leather, chocolate, wood, and a little mint. Interesting, to be sure. A little hot--lots of alcohol-- with a finish shorter than exptected.
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12/28/2006 - GuBe wrote: flawed
Afar korkuð lykt. Næstum því drykkjarhæft. Finna má berjabragð í gegn. Vissulega skemmd vara.
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12/26/2006 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 84 Points
Didn't wow me like the 2002 did last year - thinner and more tart. Dark fruits and a hint of chocolate. Didn't impress anyone at dinner, but we DID finish the bottle.
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11/26/2006 - PDD wrote: 89 Points
No doubt this is shiraz! Huge blackberry and maybe some strawberry. Very nice with a pleasant finish.
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10/12/2006 - gordoyflaca wrote: 85 Points
Dark purple; drunk over three days. Aroma hot, cassis; improved on 3rd day, less heat, with notes of dark berry and vanilla cream. A lot of heat on the palate, spicy, more tart than I would have expected, not complex, but not thin.
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9/29/2006 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color, with simple red fruit, raspberry ad cherry notes and flavors. A bit of pepper on the finish. 87-89 pts. $13.99.
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7/31/2006 - GraemeBell wrote: 89 Points
Peppery, medicinal, chocolate, blackberries and blackcurrant. Oaky. Fairly acidic and a little hot and tart on the finish. Vaguely reminiscent of the 1999 Dead Arm but lighter in body.
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7/11/2006 - Nutty08 wrote: 86 Points
Thin fruit on the nose. Palate sharp with the alcohol a bot over the top. Medium body, medium complexity.
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6/16/2006 - Stephan O wrote: 86 Points
My notes roughly seem to match Barbara B's. This lively, coffee-laden Shiraz is a little more tart than you'd expect from this grape, and there's a slightly medicinal edge to it. Still, this is a fair value for about $13, showing a good range of flavors from blackberry to mint, cocoa to "Mr. Pibb," along with the aforementioned coffee. You can feel the 14.5% alcohol, but the heat is kept pretty well in check on the finish. Simple but decent stuff, at least for a summer picnic or to accompany Five Guys' burgers.
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5/19/2006 - Wineman3 wrote: 86 Points
Subtle flavor, slight sour after taste
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5/17/2006 - Barbara B wrote: 85 Points
Tasted 2006-05-15
AIS, Rome, 6 Australian reds
Visual: Purple with ruby rim, dense.
Nose: Smoky, oaky, lots of fruit, mint, floral; very nice.
Palate: Tart acidity, low tannins, perception of moderate alcohol although it is declared at 14.5%, weighty.
Overall: Big concentration, but lacking length and complexity (but not atypical for the variety).
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5/7/2006 - Mike Bates wrote: 89 Points
I really enjoyed this wine... Dark Purple, full bodied wine with a nice silky feeling. Blackberry, Prune, Spices and a bit of leather. Lots of fruit.
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4/29/2006 - deanrobinson wrote: 90 Points
excellent
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4/6/2006 - Solvang wrote:
very good
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2/28/2006 - seajoker wrote: 91 Points
First glass was a bit berry, but next day, opened up to be a great wine. The balance between fruit and acidity was great.
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2/26/2006 - mstrickland wrote: 88 Points
Delicious, but expensive. Ripe berry fruit aroma tingles your nose. Taste is intense with flavors of wood, chocolate, and jam. Complexity gained upon opening.
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