January 23, 2021 - Random purchase in a wine store that had a 30% off sale. Buying old Australian wine is like kissing frogs - you get a lot of slime and occasionally a princess.
It looks like brown scarlet with legs. It smells like hot raspberry. It tastes better. Gobs of red fruit, mouth puckering tannins,enough acidity to hold it together. This is delicious and not as hot as the 16% alc might suggest. I haven’t tasted a wine like this before. Imagine a slender Grenache going to a fancy dress ball in costume as a big brawny Shiraz. This is light to medium bodied but it feels bigger. Delicious with rotisserie chicken and garlic bread.
The $68 I paid was a fair price .I’ll buy this again.
May 16, 2020 - This is drinking really well, spicy, tannins rounded, a wall of pure fruit, and no perceptible alcohol. Sampled via Coravin, so I will update this note over the next few weeks as I work my way through the rest of the bottle.
November 22, 2019 - haven't had one of these in years.
Popped and poured into glasses and left there for about an hour.
Nose was very hot initially and I wasn't optimistic but over the course of the hour it filled out and developed more dark fruit, tar and spice notes.
Palate was big and rich but disappointingly had little complexity or nuance. Both my wife and I noted how disappointed we were given how much we used to love this wine. It was really just a big Aussie wine. Tiring to drink alone. Better with the lamb chops.
Would not buy again.
October 22, 2017 - Full bodied wine with black cherries, black raspberries, earthiness, and hints of floral. Medium to long finish.
January 3, 2017 - Drinking ripe and ready. PNP'd this bottle. No need to decant. Very dark raspberry, black cherry, and black berry. This is no ordinary Grenache. Like the cliche - this one is full throttle. I would have liked to seen a little more complexity, and back of the gasoline a little. The fun part is that a little savory component came out about 1.5 hrs in to the bottle. Make a slab of baby back ribs and enjoy.
January 2, 2017 - A fun wine drinking well. This is mainly Grenache based, and you can taste it in the lighter, clearer fruit taste. Aging well, and still has some legs, but not getting any better.
October 12, 2014 - Woody, minty nose. The palate seems advanced with odd almost rancid fruit. Drying finish. Not a fan.
November 26, 2013 - I thought this wine was exceptional. Thank you my sis for sending this from overseas. Colour is super Dark, hint of purple rim. Nose is full of coffee and milk chocolate, earth, dark fruits. On the mouth, full bodied, rich and lucious, delicious flavours of chocolate, coffee beans, black fruits, mingled together. Finishes with mouth pluckering tannins and refreshing acidity. Already good to go with splash decant and pour back to the bottle and enjoy. Should improve over next 5 years. Very good effort for the tough vintage. I could almost mistaken that this could have come from priorate spain. I got 3 of 2012 Eclipse, and 3 of reserve shiraz 2012 directly from cellar door. I will lay them down for 2 years before cracking them.
July 9, 2012 - at this point is seem a little rough, acidic and over rated
December 13, 2011 - A powerful Grenache/Shiraz blend from South Australia that, for my palate, reveals too much of its 16% alcohol. Plenty of ripe fruits and dark chocolate on the nose, with a plush palate; dominated by spirity, big, bold fruit and decently supported by dusty tannins. Although acids are definitely in the background, the wine avoids being soupy. Although this is reported to be aged in only ~15% new barrels, the finish is quite drying. Although this may appeal to some, it's strong points are not what I'm looking for in a wine.