Big and chewy. Ripe, almost prunish plums, chocolate, fig, and a little spice. Pretty good balance for a wine with such high alcohol; over the top in every respect. Not likely to improve, but there's no rush to drink it either.
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A big, chewy wine, with a generous perfumed nose and surprisingly well balanced, with dusy dried earth notes to go with all that fruit. Drinking well now but plenty of life left to this wine.
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Tasted/reviewed double blind. Lots of freshly peeled red apple and soapy flowers in the nose. Underneath that are browner aromas of maturity. E.g., dried figs and dates. On the palate, this is big and bold and almost meal-like. But I love the fresh acidity of this wine. I think this is Chateauneuf du Pape, but it’s interesting and somewhat atypical. Malic acid running through this wine, giving it energy? I don’t taste any spice or gaminess. Tannins are still chewy. This is a brilliant wine that is proving itself after what surely was 10+, if not 15+, years of age.
Guess the wine: 15+ year old Chateauneuf du Pape. Rating: 94.
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Tasted blind; guessed CdP. This wine is thick with dried fig and prune flavors and indistinct spice. Also prominent is an unusual taste of red apple, which gives this wine vitality. Alcohol is a distraction.
I suggest drinking now.
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(Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz) Cambrian SPECIAL Dear Friends, As one of our highlight wines from the past 4-5 years, this SPECIAL is as close to my heart as it comes. When an Australian winery is trying to make a difference this intently, I listen closely and I have since this winery’s inception. Tatiarra is one of few Australian statement makers at the moment but they have what few others in the world possess - untouched Cambrian soil that has been evolving for millions of years with no agriculture or other mineral sapping vegetation planted before the vines were forced to sink their teeth into the one of a kind terroir-fest. Think of this as a vinous equivalent of a kid about to open their presents on Christmas morning - if are a Shiraz vine lucky enough to be planted at Tatiarra, you are something special right from the get-go. For those of you that still have copies of The Big Australian Review from years past, the Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz was always ranked in the top 3-4 wines of the vintage (out of several thousand tasted). It is one of only a handful of Australian wines with the mineral soaked, tannic clout of a great Hermitage but the staying presence and singular quality of a classic vintage of Grange circa the mid-1960s. In other words, these are as highly recommended as it gets and they represent the dragon that so many of you chase with wine. Now the fun part, the winery is small - they have no room to store old vintages - they need to make room for their 2006 and 2007. So, we have the very last bottles of the three preceding years, sold as a 3-pack at a price that is not only bizarre with this level of provenance (never moved since release) but for the competitive quality (which there really is none). This is not about scores - Wine Advocate numbers are about as irrelevant on these as any series of Shiraz reviewed in the last decade (although they always get admirable scores despite this). The Cambrian cannot be put in a peer group comparative setting as it is unlike any other wine - the hallmarks of crushed rock, stone, depth and solid ore are not found outside of this micro-climate. In the end, the Cambrian is at the very upper reaches of wine in the world with nearly unlimited capacity to age (into something nobody can accurately predict but I’m surely excited to find out...) Do whatever research you need to but this price is downright crazy. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly form the source with perfect provenance: Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz 3-Pack (one bottle of each vintage) 2003 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz 2004 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz 2005 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus8410
NOTE: Some content is property of Vinous and Halliday Wine Companion and Garagiste.
1/29/2022 - jayw Likes this wine:
Big and chewy. Ripe, almost prunish plums, chocolate, fig, and a little spice. Pretty good balance for a wine with such high alcohol; over the top in every respect. Not likely to improve, but there's no rush to drink it either.
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6/6/2020 - vinous vin Likes this wine: 90 Points
In a good drinking window at the moment. Differcult to decide if it is too confectionary and port like?
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2/29/2020 - jayw Likes this wine:
A big, chewy wine, with a generous perfumed nose and surprisingly well balanced, with dusy dried earth notes to go with all that fruit. Drinking well now but plenty of life left to this wine.
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3/30/2019 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted/reviewed double blind. Lots of freshly peeled red apple and soapy flowers in the nose. Underneath that are browner aromas of maturity. E.g., dried figs and dates. On the palate, this is big and bold and almost meal-like. But I love the fresh acidity of this wine. I think this is Chateauneuf du Pape, but it’s interesting and somewhat atypical. Malic acid running through this wine, giving it energy? I don’t taste any spice or gaminess. Tannins are still chewy. This is a brilliant wine that is proving itself after what surely was 10+, if not 15+, years of age.
Guess the wine: 15+ year old Chateauneuf du Pape. Rating: 94.
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9/7/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted blind; guessed CdP. This wine is thick with dried fig and prune flavors and indistinct spice. Also prominent is an unusual taste of red apple, which gives this wine vitality. Alcohol is a distraction.
I suggest drinking now.
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