colour: dark ruby with expansive brightening on the edges
aroma: dark, ripe berryfruits, heart cherry and strawberries; also dried herbs, licorice
flavor: medium to full body, juicy cherry fruit, vivid and fresh acidity fine structure, fruit in rum, good length and finesse in the afteraste, appealing balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. notes of oak are hardly dedectable. long aftertaste of sour cherry. A very fine wine with much class and silky structure. Best drinking window now, good PQR, would like it again.
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Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
≈30 min decant into a plastic, cylindrical pitcher which was then capped; A minimal amount of very, VERY fine sediment noted; Private Preserve after Day 1.
N: Somewhat tough to parse, but RIPE, dark frts (plums, poss blkberries) with hints of pyrazines & poss minerals? Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt met by an astringent pucker which seamlessly evolves into a LONG, beautifully BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the virtually negligible, very, VERY fine tannins. A *lovely* wine that went VERY well with the night's German Beef Rouladen, German Potato Salad, & Creamed Kraut (HmMd)!
// Day 2: ≈aromas, but < intense; P has held very well, pairing VERY nicely with the Grilled Grnd Beef, Sauteed Mushrooms, & Grilled Sirloin Steak.
// ∑: 14.0% ABV; A *very* impressive wine that would appear to be quite versatile @ the table! 🙂 14.0% ABV; My EXC+ (94,95/100 using that metric), + should at least approach its 15th! [As of early Feb '21, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $42].
Note: First tasted on 5/28/18
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Looks youger than its age at 10 years with a deep and vibrant colour all the way to the edge of the glass. Nose displays good fruit and earthiness/savouriness Palate shows youth but integration of fruit with tannin and acid. Good mouth feel and whilst not the longest persistence still solid. Still has years to go
P: Med, poss LM, body; NICE, almost swtish frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by a tangy astringency which NEVER loses the frt's swtness as it slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into the LONG, NICELY balanced finish with an ATTRACTIVE tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Deserves into '20, then making its '15th? 14.3% ABV; My EXC+, some level of EXCEPTIONALITY a *certainty*! :)
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Maturing, fruit softening, sharp dark and red fruit. Smooth, cassis, medium to long, nice acid tannin balance. Interesting to see where this goes over the next few years.
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Rich and full bodied with lots of spicy black fruit. Hints of licorice, cedar and oak. Nice acidity and soft tannins coming through in the slightly salty finish.
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Drinking well, but will get better over the next 2-3 years. Opened up after 90 minutes without decanter in glass. Almost northern Rhone like, but nose slightly flatter. Great value Aussie red.
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First of 3 bottles opened. Violet colour. Best on Day 2, because of this forward red and black fruit which was a bit hidden on Day 1. Nice balance with mocca notes and licorice.
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A bit light and tight. Red/cherry/raspberry fruit, light to medium bodied on the mid tongue, not a strong finish. A Clare valley shiraz, and not remotely like a full bodied fruit forward McLaren Vale. Also seemed to be wound a bit tight, and did not open up over about two hours. Maybe will benefit from more time in the bottle.
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I really enjoyed this. It was a BIG shiraz that took a long time to open up, but boy did it ever. Fantastic nose with a bit of oak on it, but great fruit too. Good acidity, balanced nicely with the cherry, strawberry, currant, and oak on the palate. Sort of a short finish, but still quite nice.
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Ripe black fruit, eucalyptus, oak, sweet spice and gamey, meaty notes. Intense fruit on palate. Well balanced and some tertiary notes coming through. Plenty of time ahead of it but delicious now too.
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Excellent concentration and structure. Delightful eucalyptus flavor reveals in time--a 1-3 hour decant recommended. Definitely a long-haul style, would guess it's a 15-20 year wine.
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Ripe aromas of tarry black fruits with a little floral note. Soft and supple, a lovely mouthfeel, with smoky black fruits which lead into spicy tannins.
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{screwcap, 14.2%} Youthful, jubey and plummy, with a spicy, peppery streak to it. Seems to have a fair bit of coconut oak flavour too; it’s medium-bodied, dry, with friendly, quite low-level tannins. Short-medium finish. OK, but not more than that.
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Aromas of black fruits and a bit of tarry toasty oak. Ripe and powerful on the entry, more savoury in the middle with fine ripe tannins and a lingering tobacco note amongst the blackberry fruit. Good as always.
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10/29/2023 - Ian_Rhie Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice warm Shiraz. soft tannin, silky taste
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5/2/2023 - vino_toni Likes this wine: 93 Points
colour: dark ruby with expansive brightening on the edges
aroma: dark, ripe berryfruits, heart cherry and strawberries; also dried herbs, licorice
flavor: medium to full body, juicy cherry fruit, vivid and fresh acidity fine structure, fruit in rum, good length and finesse in the afteraste, appealing balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. notes of oak are hardly dedectable. long aftertaste of sour cherry. A very fine wine with much class and silky structure. Best drinking window now, good PQR, would like it again.
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4/15/2023 - Wazza72 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking well
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3/10/2023 - Wazza72 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good reliable shiraz
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2/1/2021 - srh Likes this wine:
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
≈30 min decant into a plastic, cylindrical pitcher which was then capped; A minimal amount of very, VERY fine sediment noted; Private Preserve after Day 1.
N: Somewhat tough to parse, but RIPE, dark frts (plums, poss blkberries) with hints of pyrazines & poss minerals? Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt met by an astringent pucker which seamlessly evolves into a LONG, beautifully BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the virtually negligible, very, VERY fine tannins. A *lovely* wine that went VERY well with the night's German Beef Rouladen, German Potato Salad, & Creamed Kraut (HmMd)!
// Day 2: ≈aromas, but < intense; P has held very well, pairing VERY nicely with the Grilled Grnd Beef, Sauteed Mushrooms, & Grilled Sirloin Steak.
// ∑: 14.0% ABV; A *very* impressive wine that would appear to be quite versatile @ the table! 🙂 14.0% ABV; My EXC+ (94,95/100 using that metric), + should at least approach its 15th! [As of early Feb '21, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $42].
Note: First tasted on 5/28/18
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8/8/2020 - Derrick&Susan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Looks youger than its age at 10 years with a deep and vibrant colour all the way to the edge of the glass.
Nose displays good fruit and earthiness/savouriness
Palate shows youth but integration of fruit with tannin and acid. Good mouth feel and whilst not the longest persistence still solid.
Still has years to go
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5/25/2018 - srh wrote:
Friday Tasting Group; Syrahs/Shirazes (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Closed, but seems ripe; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; NICE, almost swtish frt BEAUTIFULLY counterbalanced by a tangy astringency which NEVER loses the frt's swtness as it slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into the LONG, NICELY balanced finish with an ATTRACTIVE tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Deserves into '20, then making its '15th? 14.3% ABV; My EXC+, some level of EXCEPTIONALITY a *certainty*! :)
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3/17/2017 - Alexroy wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, velvety, dark plump fruits. Lovely.
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2/4/2017 - Alexroy wrote: 90 Points
Not much on the nose. Powerful, some cherry, dark fruits, firm tannins, but nice balance and long. Think this will improve.
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11/26/2016 - Alexroy wrote: 89 Points
Maturing, fruit softening, sharp dark and red fruit. Smooth, cassis, medium to long, nice acid tannin balance. Interesting to see where this goes over the next few years.
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10/28/2016 - Wuhan Joe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rich and full bodied with lots of spicy black fruit. Hints of licorice, cedar and oak. Nice acidity and soft tannins coming through in the slightly salty finish.
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9/24/2016 - Alexroy wrote: 91 Points
Dark, dried figs, chocolate. Some lightness, smooth, medium length. Very drinkable.
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7/1/2016 - Alexroy wrote: 91 Points
Nice plummy, fruity flavour, lovely balance not overwhelming, very attractive.
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4/20/2016 - willypap21 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well, but will get better over the next 2-3 years. Opened up after 90 minutes without decanter in glass. Almost northern Rhone like, but nose slightly flatter. Great value Aussie red.
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3/29/2016 - Bradetti wrote: 91 Points
First of 3 bottles opened. Violet colour. Best on Day 2, because of this forward red and black fruit which was a bit hidden on Day 1. Nice balance with mocca notes and licorice.
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3/16/2016 - ogres3 Likes this wine:
Very positive comments at a wine tasting. I didn't have any.
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2/18/2016 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit light and tight. Red/cherry/raspberry fruit, light to medium bodied on the mid tongue, not a strong finish. A Clare valley shiraz, and not remotely like a full bodied fruit forward McLaren Vale. Also seemed to be wound a bit tight, and did not open up over about two hours. Maybe will benefit from more time in the bottle.
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6/18/2015 - Edeon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic. Love this style of Shiraz. I've had some off bottles of this, which didn't excite me, but some that were amazing.
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6/9/2015 - devman wrote: 92 Points
I really enjoyed this. It was a BIG shiraz that took a long time to open up, but boy did it ever. Fantastic nose with a bit of oak on it, but great fruit too. Good acidity, balanced nicely with the cherry, strawberry, currant, and oak on the palate. Sort of a short finish, but still quite nice.
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2/5/2015 - bvin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ripe black fruit, eucalyptus, oak, sweet spice and gamey, meaty notes. Intense fruit on palate. Well balanced and some tertiary notes coming through. Plenty of time ahead of it but delicious now too.
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1/17/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent concentration and structure. Delightful eucalyptus flavor reveals in time--a 1-3 hour decant recommended. Definitely a long-haul style, would guess it's a 15-20 year wine.
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10/11/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
more eucalyptus to the nose than the 2012 Lodge Hill was showing. Smooth palate, tar-y, dark/black fruit.
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9/10/2014 - Biggsy wrote: 88 Points
Ripe aromas of tarry black fruits with a little floral note. Soft and supple, a lovely mouthfeel, with smoky black fruits which lead into spicy tannins.
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6/29/2014 - chatters wrote:
Sydney good food and wine show (Olympic Park, Homebush, Sydney): Chocolate, red over blackberry fruit, cream, toast. In the mouth cream, red over blackberry fruit, slight sourness and medium chalky tannin. Hmm. Bit meh. Disappointing.
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6/8/2014 - jsanko wrote: 87 Points
A little tight with cassis and cherry but likely needs some time to mature and open up.
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4/3/2014 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 14.2%} Youthful, jubey and plummy, with a spicy, peppery streak to it. Seems to have a fair bit of coconut oak flavour too; it’s medium-bodied, dry, with friendly, quite low-level tannins. Short-medium finish. OK, but not more than that.
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10/4/2013 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of black fruits and a bit of tarry toasty oak. Ripe and powerful on the entry, more savoury in the middle with fine ripe tannins and a lingering tobacco note amongst the blackberry fruit. Good as always.
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