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Gourmet Traveller wine Victorian Shiraz
Winespace, Surry Hills
Tasted July 22, 2020 by chatters with 140 views
Introduction
An opportunity to try a bucket load of Vic Shz whilst the border is closed because of Covid
Flight 1 - Yarra Valley (7 notes)
Other than the Yarra Yering these were mostly on the less extracted
Red
2018 Innocent Bystander Shiraz Mea Culpa Yarra Valley
Pretty jubey blackberry backed by alcohol generated peppery spice, a little dusty underpin. Juicy, fleshy, slightly bitter and astringent with the berried fruit, soft tannins. light touch and fruit friendly.
Red
2016 Mac Forbes Syrah
Jubey fruit, touch of bretty funk, more stalky notes, menthol, a little peppery spice and some raspberry/red berry notes join the blackberry fruit. Juicy, fleshy, slight bitterness, talc texutred tannins, fruit a little muted, that bretty funk is here as well. Pleasant enough.
Red
2019 Soumah Syrah Single Vineyard Hexham Vineyard
Slight cream, vanilla, slightly dusty earth, wild blackberry. It's a little sour on the palate, alcoholic warmth underpins this, fruit a little short. Meh.
Red
2018 Giant Steps Syrah Tarraford Vineyard
Warm, dusty, jubey and baked black fruit, sweet spice, very slight menthol notes on the nose. Juicy, slightly more red than black fruit is on the palate, chalky tannic burr isn't overpowering. Balanced but very slightly anonymous. Hmm
Red
2016 Yarra Yering Shiraz Underhill
Concentrated, reductive, black hued fruits, oaky spice. Juicy, black hued fruits splash around the palate joined by plentiful chalky tannic burr. Time I'm hoping as this is far too much at the moment.
Red
2016 Yarra Yering Dry Red N°2
Polished oak, blackberry, a little plum and black cherry, touch of chocolate. Feels quite extracted compared to other wines in this bracket. Equally polished oak and concentrated black fruits on the palate, chalky drying tannins. Long. Good but not for me.
Red
2017 Levantine Hill Estate Syrah
Earthy, spicy, peppery, jubey black and red berry. In the mouth it's juicy with silky tannins, similar berried fruits, very slight bitterness on the finish but otherwise good. It's quite elegant and balanced as well.
Flight 2 - Mornington Peninsula (1 note)
Pity there was only one from here as there are some great Shiraz coming out of this region now
Red
2018 Yabby Lake Vineyard Syrah Single Vineyard
Blackberry and black pepper, a little alcohol warmth, savoury spicy underpin. It's juicy on the palate but the impression is of a little flatness - the tannins are drying and talc textured but this is a bit meh for me.
Flight 3 - Grampians (4 notes)
Two winners, both from Best's both very different
Red
2015 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz Langi
Stalky, ashy notes dominate the nose over muted blackberry and spices. Sourly stalky acidity, chalky tannins close the palate down. Nah.
Red
2018 Seppelt Shiraz St Peters
Blackberry, blackcurrant and black pepper; smells quite dense. Sourly fruited on the palate with dense tannins that dry things out. Time should help based on the nose...Hmm.
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Comment
Red
2017 Best's Great Western Shiraz Bin No 0
Woof, dense, ripe, black fruits, a touch of sulphur, there is also a jubey underpin as well, pretty sweet spice and a hint of vanilla. A little dense and extracted on the palate but the tannins, acid and fruit are in perfect balance. Nice.
Red
2017 Best's Great Western Shiraz LSV
Jubey sweet blackberry, very lozenge, very pretty, sweet spice, very fruit forward with a tiny stalk note on the nose. Juicy, the fruit has a very slight sour edge that helps lend a touch of freshness, tannins are concentrated, persistent and flour textured. Bordering on the elegant. Very nice.
Flight 4 - Beechworth (4 notes)
Should probably stick to Pinot and Chardonnay (and some Italian varietals)
Red
2017 Willem Kurt Shiraz
Hmm, jammy and stalky red fruits; raspberry especially, spice, very menthol as well. On the palate it sour with no fruit! bitter, hard, green tannins dry out the palate. Ugh.
Red
2018 Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Shiraz Thorley
Beef extract; bovril almost, black plums, smidge of plain chocolate, with time blackberry as well. Juicy, slight sour acidity, chalky, slightly bitter tannins. Meh.
Red
2017 Fighting Gully Road Shiraz
Jubey blackberry, peppery spice, earthy, dusty, very slightly ashy stalks on the nose. Juicy acidity stays the right side of sour, just, for me. Black hued fruit, silky tannins persists and get more grainy with time. Okay.
Red
2018 Brokenwood Shiraz Indigo Vineyard
Aromas of red currants and berries backed by jubey blackberry, quite dusty spices, a little stalks, cream, almost a little apricot (?) Juicy medium plus intensity acidity, talc textured tannins, the fruit is a litte muted for me though. Hmm.
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Comment
Flight 5 - Nagambie Lakes (2 notes)
I know I shouldn't but the roided Tahbilk is awfully good fun...
Red
2017 Tudor Central Victorian Shiraz
Wow, smells like pinot - all red cherry, sweet spice with a slightly jammy, jubey underpin. Juicy, fleshy with talc textured tannins and freshly fruited. Nice QPR, wouldn't have picked it as a Shiraz though.
Red
2013 Tahbilk Shiraz 1860 Vines
ripe, concentrated, dense, thick, brutal, masses of blackberry fruit, plums, a little caramel and vanilla, fruit cake. Juicy acidity, lashings of fresh black fruit and chalky tannins. Needs a lot of time or a lot of charry meat but kind of fun an overblown though albeit balanced way.
Flight 6 - Geelong (3 notes)
not much here for me
Red
2015 Bannockburn Shiraz
Struck match, meaty, toast over farty brambly fruit and spice. Palate very much a reflection of the nose with chalky grippy tannin. not for me.
Red
2018 By Farr Shiraz
Stalky, meaty, blackberry, defo whole bunch, oaky sweet spice, a little clay. Juicy acidity, the fruit strays to the sour side, tannins are grippy, drying and talc textured. Nah.
Red
2018 Clyde Park Shiraz
Pretty blackberry and plum, touch of compote here, sweet spice, a little black pepper. Juicy acidity is medium plus intensity, wet brambly fruit, a little struck match/sulphur on the palate and chalky tight tannins. Hmm. Time?
Flight 7 - Pyrenees (2 notes)
Hmm...
Red
2018 Taltarni Old Vine Shiraz
Plummym rich, ripe black fruit and spice, a little black pepper, cream. In the mouth it has medium plus intensity acidity but is also concentrated and dense with drying though relatively silky tannins, slight alcohol warmth joins the black fruit. It's a little old school. Okay but time.
Red
2016 Sub Rosa Shiraz Malakoff Estate Pyrenees
Stalky, peppery spice, slightly meaty notes, blackberry and plum under this, slight herbaceous notes and a touch of vanilla. Sourly juicy, chalky tannins points to a little too much work in the winery for me.
Flight 8 - Heathcote (4 notes)
historically I've found wines from this region quite ripe but not all of these showed that, or showed the balance I want...
Red
2018 Syrahmi Shiraz Demi
100% whole bunch i'm guessing; stalks, sour black and red berry, savoury spices, alcohol lends peppery prickle. Juicy, slightly sour fruit, alcohol warmth, flour textured tannins sit in the background. Hmm.
Red
2017 Seppelt Shiraz Mount Ida
Rich, ripe, polished, plummy black fruit, oak spice. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity feels adjusted, almost volatile in level, chalky tannins work with this. Nah.
Red
2018 Tar & Roses Shiraz
Bovril! tomato and tomato leaf, a little creamed baby food note as well on the nose. Awful on the palate. Ugh.
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Comments (3)
Red
2017 Heathcote Estate Shiraz Single Vineyard Heathcote
slightly dusty, black over red fruit, very slight jubey notes here as well that grows with time and agitation. Juicy, fleshy, fruit is a tiny bit short, tannins are drying, chalky textured and persistent. Kind of nice
Closing
a lot of fun - something for everyone here from 100 stalks semi natural to fully roided and extracted beasts...of those tending to the former it was Levantine Hill Syrah and the Best's Great Western LSV (amongst a couple of others) and for the latter it was Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz and the Tahbilk 1860's Vines Shiraz...