1/26/2022 - Softie wrote:

The fruit and oak have settled down, compared to my 2017 note. Still a bit Shiraz-like in its Blackberry, but lovely drinking. Not a bit tired.

7/23/2021 - Softie wrote:

Having my last bottle tonight.

Sublime. Even the colour is still garnet; I can't see any tawny.

Just wonderful Barossa aged Shiraz.

6/29/2021 - Softie wrote:

I'm enjoying this. Can't agree with the comment that fruit is subdued. Blackberry and cigar box to the fore. Structure still there - and in any case at this age the longevity of the cork is pivotal. If your storage is good and the cork is kind, this is not in decline.

I wouldn't say it's a 'wow' wine - lacks the balance for that - but it's got its virtues.

5/26/2021 - Softie wrote:

Delightful and delicious. Beautifully balanced - strong structure, fruit and acid.

5/21/2021 - Softie wrote:

Wow two years after my last bottle and my experience with this bottle is far different, far inferior. 13 years of age is nothing for an Aussie Shiraz under Stelvin.

I'm not confident I can pin point the problem, so treat the explanation with care. I think the tannins have fallen over and the fruit has lost its juiciness and become sour. The cedar is now prominent, and the wine has gone out-of-balance, not oxidized, but come apart so to speak.

3/25/2021 - Softie wrote:

Opened another bottle today. Deep garnet, no bricking, intense black fruits and some chocolate notes, lovely and very Barossa Valley.

I have another 4-5 bottles of this and love this wine, but ... it's under cork, which lowers reliability of cellaring, and unlikely to get any better. I'd recommend drinking up over 2-3 years unless your bottles defy aging over that period.

8/27/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. Remarkably fresh acid zing remaining, lime, toast, very slight kero [a positive] and slate. Just beautiful.

7/5/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. In very good shape, Quality wine.

5/12/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Over two years since my last bottle and this is singing. Utterly delicious and no signs of flagging.

Just on my first glass and will aim to add notes more later.

5/12/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Just lovely. Drank this over 3 nights up to 3 nights ago, but the memory lingers.

Astonishingly fresh in acid and fruit (lime more than lemon) for a 10 year old Riesling. Absolutely singing with flinty minerality coming through nicely. Has not even reached middle age yet.

Viva Ken Helm!

4/27/2020 - Softie wrote:

Drinking this again. Incredible longevity. Pale yellow/lemon, good acid, delicious fruit.

I'm flabbergasted by how well preserved this Sav Blanc is! What a recommendation for Bordeaux Blanc.

4/24/2020 - Softie wrote:

Night One: the fruit is oh-so-rich. Needs an hour or more breathing to bring forth savioury elements.

4/15/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Night 1: drinking beautifully. 15.1ABV, but not a HINT of alcohol volume. Expressive black fruits, mocha and licorice. SMOOTH tannins and a good lick of acid. Restrained Barossa power. Terrific example of Barossa shiraz at a everyday price. Drink over the next 10-20 years.

Night 2: still richly fruited and vibrant.

4/10/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Delicious, easy drinking Shiraz. In good shape, moorish red and black fruits, medium tannnins and body.

Now the 3rd night and it's beautiful drinking. This wine has at least 3 years left in its peak drinking window.

I notice someone referred to the 2015 vintage of this wine as a Shiraz for lovers of Pinot Noir. The same applies here. Elegant, smooth, understated cool climate Shiraz.

4/3/2020 - Softie wrote:

Very fragrant wine. Rich plum fruit and fruit cake flavours - richer than I remember - and some chocolate and forest floor. Silky smooth tannins and good acid structure.

Being picky the fruit is still strong at 10 years of age. Perhaps this would have benefited from blending with 30% or more of Cabernet so the tannins better balanced the potency of the fruit? It's not over-extracted, but the fruit and nose are very rich.

3/30/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Now a delicioys Pinot, no caveats.

Has improved over the 18 months or so since I tasted a bottle. Now 7 years since the stellar vintage of 2013. My prior TN dismissing it as good for price is praise far too faint for its qualities now.

Richly fruited and with impressive body and length - a definite peacock's tail. It coats the tongue and mouth. Red cherry and strawberry fruit flavours predominate, but spice and forest floor elements there too. Would be a good wine even at 50% above its usual price.

3/27/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Popped and poured at maybe 20C ... a little warm for my palate.

Strongly perfumed: intense Blackcurrant on the nose with a mild sense of alcohol heat, bitumen. Corresponding palate. Not over-extracted, no bitter kick, pleasent black fruits, fine tannins, medium weight in the mouth, acid brightness remains. Colour is medium garnet. It is not past its peak. Not a complex wine - but good PQ ratio.

I managed to cool the wine below 20C and noticed some red fruit element to compliment the blackcurrant flavours. Same here now on Day 2. I guess that's because the Merlot component has a plums flavour profile, and red plums at that, not chocolate.

3/20/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Standing up well, even on the second night. Got 2+ years of good-ish drinking left, but it won't get better.

3/8/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

Much more in balance now than I remember my last bottle. Still some alcohol heat - but not much. Structure, tannin and acid 100% solid, now the fruits seem more in balance now at 14 years old with structure and alcohol.

Typical black fruit varietal flavours of cab. sav. and shiraz and a little forest floor and white pepper. Good drinking now, but I should not have had to wait this long. Will live a long time under its Stelvin seal.

2/14/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

[P.S. great drinking on Days 2 and 3 too: sure sign of remaining longevity. Wine stored in fridge and allowed to warm to ~17C at time of drinking.]

Nearly three years since my last bottle and this wine - even on Day 1 - has smoothed right out. Tannins are smooth and in balance with fruit and now no notable alcohol heat. Ideal integration has emerged over years 9 to 12. Yet the colour remains as much purple as garnet.

It's now unambiguously a good wine. Blackberry and Raspberry and Chocolate, old leather, forest floor, mushroom. That typical Barossa chocolate character is now more evident and evident on Day 1 [previously Day 2].

I feel this wine is near peak, and yet I have no fear of leaving my last bottle for two years - if needed.

1/31/2020 - Softie wrote:

Terrific drinking on Day +2 [3rd day]. Wonderful: 7 year old Pinot drinking well two evenings after opening. To me that says a lot about the quality and longevity of this wine.

1/14/2020 - Softie wrote:

Still in very good shape - it is under Stelvin, not archaic cork.

Pleasent drink but not complex, even at 9 years of age.

1/10/2020 - Softie Likes this wine:

I endorse and support GraemeG's notes. In particular this wine has MANY years before it reaches it's peak, but is an enjoyable medium bodied wine now, albeit without great complexity. I enjoy this wine.

I drank this over fully 4 nights with fridge storage in betweeen nights. It was drinking better on the 3rd night and as good, or nearly as good on night 4. These are sure signs the wine is immature despite its 7 years of age.

11/28/2019 - Softie wrote:

Drinking well. In good shape.

11/21/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Still lovely. See prior tasting note.

11/20/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully - including on the 2nd night, when it was even improved. In great shape. Notably extremely fine tannins. Moorish fruit.

11/6/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Same experience again - delightful wine.

There's no reason to wait to enjoy this wine. It's under cork - shame that - but subject to cork variation, yes you can leave it another year and see how it develops; I just think it's so good I can't imagine it improving.

10/8/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

The boldness of this wine has settled right down. Just glorious.

Integrated and balanced acid, tannin, fruit and savoury characters. Leather, herbs, blurberry, blackberry, raspberry, maybe some cinnamon character too.

I aim to add more TN on nights +1 and +2. But I suspect now easily another 3-4+ years of great drinking in this release.

Night +2: still good drinking, but fruit maybe less bright. Futher bottles definitely good for more than 18 months ... subject to cork variability ... but can't see it improving either.

10/5/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

It's night +2 and I think this is drinking better than Night One. Colour deep into the garnet phase, however. If you have some left try it within the next 12 months, and make your mind up after that. Sealing under cork allows, unfortunately, for greater variability in aging effects. But chances are you'll find it still in it's prime drinking window.

Gorgeous fruit blackberry and and plum fruit, white pepper, toasty oak in a supporting role. Fine tannins, good acid structure.

9/12/2019 - Softie wrote:

My second and last bottle. I'm under-whelmed. Has held its age well - rather than developed well. No sign of imminent decline, but nor has it gained great interest. No sign of kerosine on nose, is a positive. Typical citrus (lemon) flavour profile and some slate character, but no sign of enthralling tertiary characters.

Disappointing for a premium-priced Riesling.

9/6/2019 - Softie wrote:

Drinking well.

I agree closely with PaulF's TN. Garnet colour with no sign of tawny. Acid structure and fine tannins in good shape. Plenty of years left. I have largely popped and poured, but Paul's observations on the merits of a good decant are consistent with my sampling. I'll add more on Day+1 tasting.

Now Day +1. Capsicum character more eucalypt and mint now. Improved integration, better drinking. So yes, this 11 year old wine is in good shape ... as a premium wine under Stelvin should be at 11 years.

9/3/2019 - Softie wrote:

Six years from my last TN.

Overall I am still, like other recent reviewers, under-whelmed. It's not a poor wine, but neither is it beguiling. Good acid brightness and some moderately interesting kero on the nose, but the palate seems weak ... fruit simple and not really up to balancing the acid.

8/23/2019 - Softie wrote:

Drinking another bottle of this last two days. Recent TNs on this wine are valid.

I'll add that the wine is, if anything, better drinking on Day 2 ... as usual a good sign of quality and ongoing longevity.

7/18/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Grapefruit and succulent peach/nectarine, toasty oak, malolactic creaminess in supportive role, good acid brightness still at 10 years. The morrishness of the peach character surprises and delights me.

Very much enjoyed this wine. Happy to drink my 2-3 remaining over next two years.

7/14/2019 - Softie wrote:

Nose and palate as described by two prior TNs. Yes the red and black fruits are notably intense and strong; savoury characters to the fore as well.

I'll add that the acid structure and colour suggest that this wine may not yet have peaked. The elegance dropped somewhat as serving temperatures rose, say from ~17C to ~21C, so I do suggest serving at cooler temperatures.

7/7/2019 - Softie wrote:

This bottle delicious too.

Delightful, mature McLaren Vale Shiraz.

Oldwines tasting note is spot on.

7/5/2019 - Softie wrote:

Delightful on nose and palate. Continues with faultless structure at 9 years of age.

Succulent lime, lemon zest and stony and chalky minerality - even more than I remember (admittedly years ago).

A good vintage for Grosset Springvale, I infer.

6/25/2019 - Softie wrote:

Drank better on night +1 than first night opened.

May have peaked but, given the above, still can easily handle and should be given a good decant and more than 30 minutes to breath.

6/18/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Six years since my last note on this wine ... and I was right about its longevity.

Tannin and acid structures in good shape. Fruit still delicious.

6/18/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Drank this a few nights ago. It was absolutely gorgeous.

6/6/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Just a terrific example of cool-climate Shiraz-with-finesse. Sweet mulberry fruit, tasty vanila oak and old leather smells are delightful components ... very silky tannins.

In terrific shape under Stelvin. No urgency to drink, but I see no point in waiting for further. Colour is garnet with as yet no hint of bricking.

5/11/2019 - Softie Likes this wine:

Still in good shape. Vibrant fruit and structure. Shouldn't improve a lot in years to come, but also no signs of impending tiredness either.

8/8/2018 - Softie wrote:

Night 3 of drinking and it's still lovely. Same comments as before [but noting my arithmetic error on age, LOL.]

8/3/2018 - Softie wrote:

Drinking wonderfully. Layers of flavour citrus and minerality, but retaining bright acidity.

Years and years ahead of it.

7/10/2018 - Softie Likes this wine:

Wow.

Four years since my last bottle and ... this is on-song. It exceeds my expectations - so a good test.

Zero sign of ABV - but it's 15% ABV. So delicious fruit, smooth tannins. Drinking very well.

7/4/2018 - Softie wrote:

Impressive. Delicious black- and blue-berry fruit; spicy; nice use of cedery oak; smooth, medium body; long after-taste; high acid [I'm a fan of high acid wines]; fine, strong tannins.

Elegance and power. I agree with those who say this wine is not yet at its peak.

7/3/2018 - Softie Likes this wine:

Having my first bottle of this for some years - maybe as far back as 2013.

Still delicious berry fruit and a little saddle leather on nose and mid-palate. Acid structure seems very solid. Actually rather underdeveloped for a nine year old wine. I just love the Italian high acid, sour red wines. Darn enjoyable drinking with or without food.

I'd have no concerns at all haqving my next two bottles in 2 and 4 years time.

6/30/2018 - Softie wrote:

Drinking well, but not a true star, lacks the refinement for that to my palate. Richly fruited in the Penfolds style, light on savoury character. Alcohol well integrated.

Tannin structure intact for further maturing, as one expects from a Penfolds red especially under Stelvin seal. I'll consume my last two bottles over 2-4 years.

5/8/2018 - Softie wrote:

My first bottle of this wine, any vintage.

Popped and aerated. Luscious nose, dark crimson, no bricking. Opulent nose of dark cherry; more plum on the palate with red fruit/rose hints, and maybe some licorice and mocha characters. Tannins fine - good structure without the tannin being overtly muscular. Similarly, the acids there without being a strong presence. Medium (light for Syrah) body. Good length of after taste, but coats the tongue lightly rather than generously and bit light on the back of the tongue/palate.

Overall, a good wine without being compelling. Not about to fall over at all.

4/27/2018 - Softie wrote:

Has aged well. Mellowed out.

Acid and tannin structures are in place for further cellaring, and it's under Stelvin :-) ... no hurry on this wine.

Night 2: great drinking.
Night 3: not quite as good - but still good drinking, and that's allowable on a Night 3!