May 9, 2011 - Delicious and fruity. Not too alcoholic, but not shy at all. Just the right balance and acidity in a typical Aussie Shiraz.
July 14, 2010 - A little higher up on the hillsides than the white, 25% new american oak, and a blend of 1 and 2 year and stainless steel.
Touches of Mclaren fruit on the nose but not all that strong. A bit faded really, done.
July 11, 2010 - Day 1: Medium to full bodied wine. Bright red on the look, bright red fruit on the nose, bright red fruit on the palate. Very much what you see is what you get with this one. Big alcohol content too, and there is enough heat to let you know it is there, but not enough to be cloying. Round mouthfeel, lingering spicy finish, typical of this region's shiraz. One-dimensional? Yes, but still very enjoyable.
Day 2: The nose suggested the wine had turned bad, but the palate said it was okay. Substantially sweeter than day one, and I would not let this go to a day 3. Certainly not as good as the first day though, and I'd recommend drinking as soon as it is opened. No decanting needed for this wine.
Overall it is far from perfect, but it is a fun, simple, tasty wine, and the QPR is off the charts.
January 21, 2010 - Okay wine. A bit flat and one dimensional. All nose with little follow through in the mouth.
November 6, 2009 - Slightly tart; not as smooth of a finish as expected
October 21, 2009 - At $10 its good. Cool weather Syrah but a bit on the acidic side. nice drinking suspect that it will be better day 2.
June 29, 2009 - OK, so this bottle has been open for a couple days (had a glass and recapped), so it may be a bit too oxidized...The nose is very stewed fruit and 'grapey', with a touch of pepper. In the mouth, the wine is also showing a lot of stewed fruit, but quite smooth and drinkable. Finish is medium-long, ending with a touch of bitter chocolate and pepper. My last bottle, and I'm not sorry to see it go...Its a great party wine though, and nice QPR at $13 from Garagiste. Just a little too much fruitbomb/stewed fruit to really be an enjoyable wine for me, although the 'stewed' quality may have come from being open too long. My bad?
June 13, 2009 - Enjoyed this bottle substantially more than the first.
March 17, 2009 - Cherry and pepper on the nose, with a lovely dark fruit palate and long finish of peppery dark chocolate. went very well with corned beef and cabbage stew!
February 1, 2009 - Nose of blackberry and pepper, following to the palate. A bit of heat on the finish, but not too bad (14.5% abv). A bit of sweetness on the attack also. All in all, a tasty Shiraz.