tIn my cellar since 3/2/13,and my impressions are much the same as that date and perfectly described by Purslane on 9/26/18, except mine was finished in a couple of hours at a large party. My inventory shows one more. An outstanding QPR at $18 six plus years ago!
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Kept open and tasted for 6 days, simply recorking and putting back in the refrigerator. The pour has purple bubbles with an opaque purple center and a thin red ring around the edge. The aromas are a gush of smoked meats, blackberry, black currant, and lavender. The sip is a tripod of vivid fruit, black tea tannin, and lively acidity. The finish adds a surprisingly enjoyable taste of evergreen needles and faint bitterness into the mix. Comes from a dry and complexly rocky vineyard up in the Australian Pyrenees Mountains. Overall, aging well, superbly fruity, delicious, and well structured, with a fascinating armada of secondary tastes.
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From a magnum. Brought to Sunday dinner to celebrate Michael Herman-Smith's 86th birthday. If tasted blind, there is no way I would have guessed this was an Aussie Shiraz. It is a dead ringer for a very good Crozes-Hermitage, on both the nose and palate. Bursting with tangy, delicious plum and blackberry fruit. Shows a piercing intensity on the mid-palate. Nicely balanced, with a lively acidity and just a touch of oak. Finishes with good length and subtle notes of chalk, mineral and spice. Not particularly complex, but delicious and quite unique for its terroir. 50+5+12+17+7=91
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Enjoyed over two days, and the best showing of this vintage that I recall. Luxurious Australian fruit fashioned in the north Rhone style. Powerful yet balanced. 92-93.
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A wine that merits being drunk as a ringer with Cote Roties from Northern Rhone, costing a small fraction of their price. Inky dark in the glass with a small outside ring of red. Smells bright, pure, and fruity. Rolls into the mouth with the beginning of a silky and juicy texture, whose crowning glory is twin towers of firm acidity and tannin without any harshness or astringency. Generously fruity with blackberry, blueberry, and purple raspberry, without the separate sugar sweetness that sometimes mars Australian Shiraz.
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Loud and appealing bouquet of peppercorns, juniper, and eucalyptus, with garrigue, charcuterie, smoke, and sappiness. The wine tastes like it smells. The finish lacks a little. Great wine though.
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Has the qualities of the best Australian Shiraz, rich blackberry and striking minerality. Nose has floral and grilled beef notes - but the fruit dominates the palate.
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A tasty wine. Notes of dark berries, raspberries, violets, herbs, meat and some spice on the finish. Could age a little more. With Nadia, Faran, Jen and Tash in Phoexin, AZ.
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This was part of an odd bottle blind tasting of the Seattle group. This had us all confused. Not at all like a Syrah/Shiraz. Nose of eucalyptus and mint, with a palate of dark berries, tobasco, and green leaves. The taste was quite different from the nose. This was the groups 5th out of ten, but my second ranked wine. Thanks Jason!
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Was overtly concentrated when 1st popped with very harsh green tannins. Drank over 3 days and although it shed some of the harsh edges wasn't one of my favorite as it seemed angular at every stage for me.
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Drank over two days. Made in the north Rhone style, with lots of berry (blueberry, blackberry) and pepper flavors. Notes of terroir and sanguinity begin to show at the mid palate and linger through a moderate finish. Reminiscent of some Washington tributes to the north Rhone. Excellent weight, very good balance, and absolutely delicious!
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This wine is a big and bold expression of Shiraz from a region that is more well known for elegant, restrained expressions of the variety. The wine is an impenetrable dark red in colour even with a few years in the bottle, the nose shows generous vanillin inputs with extracted blackberry and dark cherry.
The palate is spicy and laden with dark fruit, i can't help but think that the fruit is overshadowed by the oak, which combined with structural tannins makes the wine one dimensional on the mid to back palate. Very good length of dark fruits to finish. Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2014-2024)
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The nose is all Shiraz - rich ripe blackberries dominate, which led me to expect the standard Shiraz flavor profile. However, the wine is an odd mix of styles on the palate. It starts out with blackberries and a hint of blueberries like a standard issue shiraz, but then shifts to a gamier, meatier streak on the mid palate and into the finish, reminiscent of some northern rhone wines or even some washington syrahs. I personally would rather have one style or the other rather than a combination of the two, but still, not a bad wine.
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At a blind tasting of syrah, nobody guessed this as an Aussie wine. All thought it was a well made older Northern French at a much higher cost. This is currently brilliant on the nose & palate. My thoughts pretty much mirror those posted re: the 2010. I opened it about 11AM for a 2:30PM tasting event and it had improved over the 4 hour period. I may get more since this was a steal at $18 at thewinetobuy.com. A solid 93, amongst 28 other syrahs from around the world, some at 3+ times the price.
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7/2/2022 - gcarl wrote: flawed
Same impressions as on 11/14/21. It's the equivalent of Aussie Shiraz at $50+/btl.
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11/14/2021 - gcarl wrote: 93 Points
Similar impressions as I posted on 10/27/19. A buy at $18 in 2013
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8/20/2021 - Mjcarmichael wrote: 90 Points
Over the 2019 drinking window edge but still fine in August 2021
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10/27/2019 - gcarl wrote: 93 Points
tIn my cellar since 3/2/13,and my impressions are much the same as that date and perfectly described by Purslane on 9/26/18, except mine was finished in a couple of hours at a large party. My inventory shows one more. An outstanding QPR at $18 six plus years ago!
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10/30/2018 - Raizes Likes this wine: 88 Points
盲品。开瓶虽然果味强劲,桶香也很明显,但是并非一味追求享乐适口的路子,用桶甚至可以说是克制。因此有一半人都猜到了旧世界上,连在Barossa拥有酒庄的虎子都被骗得猜向了美国。但随着醒酒,澳洲风味越来越明显,浓香甜美范儿为主。这次品酒会虽然没选上Chapoutier的北隆,但选了这个他在澳洲维多利亚的合作酒款,也算混到个出场的机会。PS:这款酒学习勃艮第的市场策略,酒标上赫然印着“lieu dit”字样,逼格满满……
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9/26/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 94 Points
Kept open and tasted for 6 days, simply recorking and putting back in the refrigerator. The pour has purple bubbles with an opaque purple center and a thin red ring around the edge. The aromas are a gush of smoked meats, blackberry, black currant, and lavender. The sip is a tripod of vivid fruit, black tea tannin, and lively acidity. The finish adds a surprisingly enjoyable taste of evergreen needles and faint bitterness into the mix. Comes from a dry and complexly rocky vineyard up in the Australian Pyrenees Mountains. Overall, aging well, superbly fruity, delicious, and well structured, with a fascinating armada of secondary tastes.
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10/1/2017 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a magnum. Brought to Sunday dinner to celebrate Michael Herman-Smith's 86th birthday. If tasted blind, there is no way I would have guessed this was an Aussie Shiraz. It is a dead ringer for a very good Crozes-Hermitage, on both the nose and palate. Bursting with tangy, delicious plum and blackberry fruit. Shows a piercing intensity on the mid-palate. Nicely balanced, with a lively acidity and just a touch of oak. Finishes with good length and subtle notes of chalk, mineral and spice. Not particularly complex, but delicious and quite unique for its terroir.
50+5+12+17+7=91
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9/16/2017 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed over two days, and the best showing of this vintage that I recall. Luxurious Australian fruit fashioned in the north Rhone style. Powerful yet balanced. 92-93.
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3/11/2016 - Mossrose wrote: 94 Points
A wine that merits being drunk as a ringer with Cote Roties from Northern Rhone, costing a small fraction of their price. Inky dark in the glass with a small outside ring of red. Smells bright, pure, and fruity. Rolls into the mouth with the beginning of a silky and juicy texture, whose crowning glory is twin towers of firm acidity and tannin without any harshness or astringency. Generously fruity with blackberry, blueberry, and purple raspberry, without the separate sugar sweetness that sometimes mars Australian Shiraz.
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1/29/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
consistent with notes of 5/9/2015
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11/6/2015 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Loud and appealing bouquet of peppercorns, juniper, and eucalyptus, with garrigue, charcuterie, smoke, and sappiness. The wine tastes like it smells. The finish lacks a little. Great wine though.
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5/9/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has the qualities of the best Australian Shiraz, rich blackberry and striking minerality. Nose has floral and grilled beef notes - but the fruit dominates the palate.
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4/4/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
A tasty wine. Notes of dark berries, raspberries, violets, herbs, meat and some spice on the finish.
Could age a little more. With Nadia, Faran, Jen and Tash in Phoexin, AZ.
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11/14/2014 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
The bouquet is eucalyptus, herb, and dark fruit driven. More restrained than most Australian Shiraz. 90-91.
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11/14/2014 - Ron Slye wrote: 92 Points
This was part of an odd bottle blind tasting of the Seattle group. This had us all confused. Not at all like a Syrah/Shiraz. Nose of eucalyptus and mint, with a palate of dark berries, tobasco, and green leaves. The taste was quite different from the nose. This was the groups 5th out of ten, but my second ranked wine. Thanks Jason!
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9/9/2014 - bajayngo wrote:
Was overtly concentrated when 1st popped with very harsh green tannins. Drank over 3 days and although it shed some of the harsh edges wasn't one of my favorite as it seemed angular at every stage for me.
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8/27/2014 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Drank over two days. Made in the north Rhone style, with lots of berry (blueberry, blackberry) and pepper flavors. Notes of terroir and sanguinity begin to show at the mid palate and linger through a moderate finish. Reminiscent of some Washington tributes to the north Rhone. Excellent weight, very good balance, and absolutely delicious!
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7/12/2014 - knothoef wrote: 88 Points
Laurel, vanilla, nice dark colour
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7/10/2014 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 88 Points
This wine is a big and bold expression of Shiraz from a region that is more well known for elegant, restrained expressions of the variety. The wine is an impenetrable dark red in colour even with a few years in the bottle, the nose shows generous vanillin inputs with extracted blackberry and dark cherry.
The palate is spicy and laden with dark fruit, i can't help but think that the fruit is overshadowed by the oak, which combined with structural tannins makes the wine one dimensional on the mid to back palate. Very good length of dark fruits to finish.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2014-2024)
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3/30/2014 - mreinitz wrote: 87 Points
The nose is all Shiraz - rich ripe blackberries dominate, which led me to expect the standard Shiraz flavor profile. However, the wine is an odd mix of styles on the palate. It starts out with blackberries and a hint of blueberries like a standard issue shiraz, but then shifts to a gamier, meatier streak on the mid palate and into the finish, reminiscent of some northern rhone wines or even some washington syrahs. I personally would rather have one style or the other rather than a combination of the two, but still, not a bad wine.
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1/5/2014 - New in Florida Likes this wine:
Drank this during Eagles playoff game 1/4/2014. Aired and decanters. Very good tasting. Would buy more, particularly at this price.
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3/24/2013 - Rooster7 wrote: 84 Points
airrated for 4 hrs wine .nose was lacking,taste of berry no complexity and short lasting
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3/2/2013 - gcarl wrote: 93 Points
At a blind tasting of syrah, nobody guessed this as an Aussie wine. All thought it was a well made older Northern French at a much higher cost. This is currently brilliant on the nose & palate. My thoughts pretty much mirror those posted re: the 2010. I opened it about 11AM for a 2:30PM tasting event and it had improved over the 4 hour period. I may get more since this was a steal at $18 at thewinetobuy.com. A solid 93, amongst 28 other syrahs from around the world, some at 3+ times the price.
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