The appearance is clear and deep ruby in colour. Tears and sediment are visible.
The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium(+) intensity and show notes of herbal characteristics (eucalyptus), bottle-age characteristics (new leather, braised beef), black fruit (black plum, dried blackberry), malolactic conversion (cream, Roquefort cheese), oak (subtle chocolate, subtle coconut, smoke), and pungent spice (black pepper). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+) acidity, high alcohol, and full body. The medium(+) tannins have an emery cloth-like nature. The flavours have a pronounced intensity and show notes of herbal characteristics (eucalyptus), bottle-age characteristics (black olives, braised beef), pungent spice (black pepper), black fruit (cooked black plum, blackberry, bramble, ripe black cherry), and oak (cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, smoke, chocolate, subtle coconut, resinous texture). The finish has a long length.
This is a very good quality wine. The flavours have a great balance with the acidity and the alcohol. The emery cloth-like tannins show a good balance with the acidity. The flavours have a great concentration as indicated by the long length of the finish (a wine of higher quality would show more concentration). In its current state, the wine shows complexity with primary, secondary, and tertiary characteristics. The primary fruit is still lively and shows great intensity. The eucalyptus note carries across the palate and is a bit distracting. The secondary and tertiary characteristics support the primary fruit.
The wine drinks well now, but is suitable for further ageing. The fruit shows great concentration and the tannin and acid structure should continue to support the wine as tertiary notes continue to develop.
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Wow - if you have any doubt what an extra 4yrs can do to a wine, this is a textbook case of a wine that has developed beautifully. Now 9yrs old, this wine has retained its beautiful and mouth filling fruit forwardness, but it is refined and smooth while retaining its full body!
Oak is finely balanced as the wine retains some structure but with no noticble tannins on the palate.
High praise by the father in law means it must be good :-)
With 3 more bottles in the cellar of this vintage (and other bottles of 2012 and 13), it doubt at least two bottles will make it past Christmas/New Year!
If the other vintages develop this well, this will become a staple of my cellar!
Happy drinking!
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This is developing nicely - it still has immense dark fruit drive upon opening, but by day 2, it’s more refined: blackberries, plums, black currant, mulberry, vanilla on the nose. Tannins are smooth, and there’s a long, velvety finish. Typical Barossa that’s developing nicely. Would give this more time.
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Deeply brooding, this has plenty of dark fruit, in a typical Barossa style: blackberries, plums, dark cherries. Nicely balanced oak, and smooth but present tannins. This is great value if you can get it at $25 or so when it's on special. Will benefit from more cellaring time.
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Greenish, a bit high on acid to my liking this time. Still an infant I think. Dark purple Colour with no sign of Aging after 6 years. Keep for another 3-5 years then try again ...
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Stunning wine. Not sure how people can give this only 89. Decantered 2 hours, smooth full bodied fruit bomb. Nice length with dark fruits, vanilla with hints of chocolate and tobacco.
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Lots of primary fruit and tannin. Still too young at 5 yrs old and likely to require another 5 or 10 before it presents well. Lacks complexity now but hoping it develops some interest over time - if not it might get gifted away.
Hold for now.
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Stunning floral red berry bouquet, deep red/purple hue, ripe black fruits on the palate, seemless mellow oak integration, non obtrusive and silky smooth tannin structure that ticks all the boxes on the finish. Another 5-8 years easy on this one, but perfect right now.
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Dark plum, lots of depth Full bodied Cherries, strawberries, hint of eucalyptus on the nose Tightly wound, dry, some tannins evident, medium+ finish Decent structure, fruit forward, decent finesse
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Beautiful ripe fruit with obvious but unobtrusive oak. A smooth and satisfying classic Barossa shiraz. Delicious now; not sure it necessarily needs further aging.
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Big wine, both in terms of oak and fruit, yet for all that, well balanced. Huge depth of fruit quality, but despite good balance a bit too much oak for my tastes. Shame I drank it without food, would go well with a roast or steak. Keen to see how remainder of bottle looks tomorrow, and how another looks in a few years.
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Absolutely delicious and the fruit gained weight and flavour the longer it was in the glass. Initially, the chocolate-mocha oak was overwhelming, but with air a tremendous depth of fresh blackberry and plums came to the for, with some floral aromas too on the nose. There's hints of some red fruits in the mouth, along with the dark chocolate and some licorice too. Nice acidity to drive it along. Really like it.
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This is a big wine with aromas of ripe dark fruits, blueberry, violet and lavender. Lovely blueberry with hints of coffee and vanilla on the palate. Full-bodied. Drinkable now, but has enough tannic grip to let sit for another 2-3 years.
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4/12/2023 - robdogau Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully but still has room to improve with further age.
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6/18/2022 - Waza Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied, plenty of fruit, some development left. Tasted with 2008 Filsell which was more mature and probably should be drunk now.
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1/8/2021 - JustJoshing wrote:
My Tasting Note - Testing
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12/25/2020 - Waza Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous wine, still too young unfortunately. Thanks god there are a few more. Definitely don't try again soon.
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6/16/2020 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely. Drinking well now but I’m guessing there’s another year or two of peak drinking.
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5/9/2020 - Waza Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fabulous wine, full bodied, juicy, great length. I'm going to try again in about a year.
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4/25/2020 - CBRwineguy wrote:
Coravin Session #5 - Australian Shiraz: [From Coravin, screwcap]
The appearance is clear and deep ruby in colour. Tears and sediment are visible.
The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium(+) intensity and show notes of herbal characteristics (eucalyptus), bottle-age characteristics (new leather, braised beef), black fruit (black plum, dried blackberry), malolactic conversion (cream, Roquefort cheese), oak (subtle chocolate, subtle coconut, smoke), and pungent spice (black pepper). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+) acidity, high alcohol, and full body. The medium(+) tannins have an emery cloth-like nature. The flavours have a pronounced intensity and show notes of herbal characteristics (eucalyptus), bottle-age characteristics (black olives, braised beef), pungent spice (black pepper), black fruit (cooked black plum, blackberry, bramble, ripe black cherry), and oak (cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, smoke, chocolate, subtle coconut, resinous texture). The finish has a long length.
This is a very good quality wine. The flavours have a great balance with the acidity and the alcohol. The emery cloth-like tannins show a good balance with the acidity. The flavours have a great concentration as indicated by the long length of the finish (a wine of higher quality would show more concentration). In its current state, the wine shows complexity with primary, secondary, and tertiary characteristics. The primary fruit is still lively and shows great intensity. The eucalyptus note carries across the palate and is a bit distracting. The secondary and tertiary characteristics support the primary fruit.
The wine drinks well now, but is suitable for further ageing. The fruit shows great concentration and the tannin and acid structure should continue to support the wine as tertiary notes continue to develop.
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11/16/2019 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow - if you have any doubt what an extra 4yrs can do to a wine, this is a textbook case of a wine that has developed beautifully. Now 9yrs old, this wine has retained its beautiful and mouth filling fruit forwardness, but it is refined and smooth while retaining its full body!
Oak is finely balanced as the wine retains some structure but with no noticble tannins on the palate.
High praise by the father in law means it must be good :-)
With 3 more bottles in the cellar of this vintage (and other bottles of 2012 and 13), it doubt at least two bottles will make it past Christmas/New Year!
If the other vintages develop this well, this will become a staple of my cellar!
Happy drinking!
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11/4/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is developing nicely - it still has immense dark fruit drive upon opening, but by day 2, it’s more refined: blackberries, plums, black currant, mulberry, vanilla on the nose. Tannins are smooth, and there’s a long, velvety finish. Typical Barossa that’s developing nicely. Would give this more time.
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4/21/2017 - bowesmana wrote:
Seems somewhat closed still. Decanted but couldn't wait before the first glass. Flavours not obvious yet. Will sample over the next few hours.
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4/18/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Love the 2010 Filsell. It has great power and complexity (see previous notes). Looking forward to seeing how this develops.
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1/16/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deeply brooding, this has plenty of dark fruit, in a typical Barossa style: blackberries, plums, dark cherries. Nicely balanced oak, and smooth but present tannins. This is great value if you can get it at $25 or so when it's on special. Will benefit from more cellaring time.
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7/23/2016 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lashings of black fruit, coupled with integrated oak and smooth tannins. Easy drinking right now. Nice
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6/13/2016 - jskuek wrote: 88 Points
Greenish, a bit high on acid to my liking this time. Still an infant I think. Dark purple Colour with no sign of Aging after 6 years. Keep for another 3-5 years then try again ...
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4/16/2016 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gave this one some decanting time - definitely tasting smoother and better. Definitely will improve with some more aging IMHO.
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4/15/2016 - AusFin Wines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stunning wine. Not sure how people can give this only 89. Decantered 2 hours, smooth full bodied fruit bomb. Nice length with dark fruits, vanilla with hints of chocolate and tobacco.
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4/10/2016 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Big fruit, smooth drinking. But needs more time in my opinion. Looking forward to how the rest develop over the next few years.
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12/19/2015 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lots of primary fruit and tannin. Still too young at 5 yrs old and likely to require another 5 or 10 before it presents well.
Lacks complexity now but hoping it develops some interest over time - if not it might get gifted away.
Hold for now.
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4/18/2015 - Brettski80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning floral red berry bouquet, deep red/purple hue, ripe black fruits on the palate, seemless mellow oak integration, non obtrusive and silky smooth tannin structure that ticks all the boxes on the finish. Another 5-8 years easy on this one, but perfect right now.
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9/9/2014 - Tairroirist wrote: 88 Points
Robust and well crafted
Spicy, minty,plummy, light tobacco, anise,
assertive but in a nice way.
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10/3/2013 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark plum, lots of depth
Full bodied
Cherries, strawberries, hint of eucalyptus on the nose
Tightly wound, dry, some tannins evident, medium+ finish
Decent structure, fruit forward, decent finesse
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7/27/2013 - G.M. wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful ripe fruit with obvious but unobtrusive oak. A smooth and satisfying classic Barossa shiraz. Delicious now; not sure it necessarily needs further aging.
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8/16/2012 - Avid Wino wrote: 91 Points
Big wine, both in terms of oak and fruit, yet for all that, well balanced. Huge depth of fruit quality, but despite good balance a bit too much oak for my tastes. Shame I drank it without food, would go well with a roast or steak. Keen to see how remainder of bottle looks tomorrow, and how another looks in a few years.
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7/12/2012 - azzah wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely delicious and the fruit gained weight and flavour the longer it was in the glass. Initially, the chocolate-mocha oak was overwhelming, but with air a tremendous depth of fresh blackberry and plums came to the for, with some floral aromas too on the nose. There's hints of some red fruits in the mouth, along with the dark chocolate and some licorice too. Nice acidity to drive it along. Really like it.
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5/8/2012 - cono_sur wrote: 90 Points
This is a big wine with aromas of ripe dark fruits, blueberry, violet and lavender. Lovely blueberry with hints of coffee and vanilla on the palate. Full-bodied. Drinkable now, but has enough tannic grip to let sit for another 2-3 years.
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