From what it can tell, it appears that the winery offered this description of the 2008 vintage of its Ben Schild Shiraz Reserve:
"Our finest Shiraz is carefully selected from the Schild family vineyards and harvested at optimum ripeness. Following open fermentation the wine has matured in American and Hungarian oak for 17 months."
Here's our review:
Deep purple with hint of brown and light ruby rim. Cherry, herbs and vanilla on nose. Medium body. Exceptionally well rounded mouthfeel. Notes of dark cherry, plum, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, leather and black pepper. Long finish.
When this vintage was released, the professional review with the longest drinking window was that in Wine Spectator, which recommended to drink now through 2018. Most reviewers of various vintages of this wine recommend a 8 year window, if that.
I think there's a case to be made that this wine deserves a drinking window longer than 10 years. For one, the 2008 vintage is drinking very well 13 years later. For another reason, take a look at a couple of recent CellarTracker reviews of even older vintages:
2003 4/12/2020 — 92 points and glowing review by DOUGOGDEN
2004 3/31/2020 — 93 points and very positive review by EFELDHAKE
As DOUGOGDEN noted in his review, "Excellent cellaring helped this last." I'm sure that's true of ours as well.
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Consistent with earlier tasting notes. The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of black and blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with tones of cedar, camphor, black pepper, spice, a bit of graphite, turning to nicely integrated oak on a long lingering tannin finish.
I would rate this higher were it not for that somewhat obtuse layer of non-fruit graphite, cedar and camphor.
Consistent with earlier tasting notes, colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of black and blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with tones of cedar, camphor, spice, a bit of graphite and black pepper with nicely integrated oak on a long lingering tannin finish.
I would rate this higher were it not for that somewhat obtuse layer of non-fruit graphite, cedar and camphor.
The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice, a bit of graphite and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.
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Heavy notes of cedar and oak on the nose. On the palate this is heavily oaked but in a good way, transition through to peppery and acidic notes with a backbone of plum and cassis flavors. Drinking well now.
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The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.
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Terrific example of Barossa Shiraz. Great balance between tannins, fruit, and oak with a very nice long finish. Much more interesting than wines at twice the price
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A very deep, dark red in colour, the nose has raisin plum fruit and plenty of cedary vanillin oak character from the blend of French, American and Hungarian oak that makes up the wine.
The wine is sweet fruited on entry and packs a flavorful punch to the senses with ripe and rounded plum / blackberry, creamy oak and cinnamon spices all on show.
The wine loses it's focus on the back palate, with the ripe fruit becoming cloying and lacking the tannin structure to balance the fruit.
2/27/2021 - 312 Likes this wine: 92 Points
From what it can tell, it appears that the winery offered this description of the 2008 vintage of its Ben Schild Shiraz Reserve:
"Our finest Shiraz is carefully selected from the Schild family vineyards and harvested at optimum ripeness. Following open fermentation the wine has matured in American and Hungarian oak for 17 months."
Here's our review:
Deep purple with hint of brown and light ruby rim. Cherry, herbs and vanilla on nose. Medium body. Exceptionally well rounded mouthfeel. Notes of dark cherry, plum, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, leather and black pepper. Long finish.
When this vintage was released, the professional review with the longest drinking window was that in Wine Spectator, which recommended to drink now through 2018. Most reviewers of various vintages of this wine recommend a 8 year window, if that.
I think there's a case to be made that this wine deserves a drinking window longer than 10 years. For one, the 2008 vintage is drinking very well 13 years later. For another reason, take a look at a couple of recent CellarTracker reviews of even older vintages:
2003 4/12/2020 — 92 points and glowing review by DOUGOGDEN
2004 3/31/2020 — 93 points and very positive review by EFELDHAKE
As DOUGOGDEN noted in his review, "Excellent cellaring helped this last." I'm sure that's true of ours as well.
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10/6/2018 - rmcnees wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with earlier tasting notes. The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of black and blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with tones of cedar, camphor, black pepper, spice, a bit of graphite, turning to nicely integrated oak on a long lingering tannin finish.
I would rate this higher were it not for that somewhat obtuse layer of non-fruit graphite, cedar and camphor.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/10/ben-schild-reserve-barossa-valley-shiraz.html
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10/11/2016 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with earlier tasting notes, colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of black and blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with tones of cedar, camphor, spice, a bit of graphite and black pepper with nicely integrated oak on a long lingering tannin finish.
I would rate this higher were it not for that somewhat obtuse layer of non-fruit graphite, cedar and camphor.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/10/ben-schild-reserve-barossa-valley-shiraz_12.html
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9/11/2013 - duncawil wrote: 90 Points
Great fruit. Smooth wine. delicious!
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5/11/2013 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 92 Points
The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice, a bit of graphite and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.
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3/16/2013 - RandyC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Heavy notes of cedar and oak on the nose. On the palate this is heavily oaked but in a good way, transition through to peppery and acidic notes with a backbone of plum and cassis flavors. Drinking well now.
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12/6/2012 - rmcnees wrote: 93 Points
The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.
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12/5/2012 - TheBosWineGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Terrific example of Barossa Shiraz. Great balance between tannins, fruit, and oak with a very nice long finish. Much more interesting than wines at twice the price
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7/6/2012 - Locki wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Typical big, Barossa. Beautiful! Big round plum flavours with a huge hit of chocolate. Medium length finish. Great value.
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6/16/2012 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 87 Points
A very deep, dark red in colour, the nose has raisin plum fruit and plenty of cedary vanillin oak character from the blend of French, American and Hungarian oak that makes up the wine.
The wine is sweet fruited on entry and packs a flavorful punch to the senses with ripe and rounded plum / blackberry, creamy oak and cinnamon spices all on show.
The wine loses it's focus on the back palate, with the ripe fruit becoming cloying and lacking the tannin structure to balance the fruit.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2012-2017)
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