Feel it just entered its drinking window. Would need a little time to fully open up. Unfortunately we consumed it too fast. But from what we could sense in a small window, this is an excellent wine worthing cellaring and savoring on special occasions.
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This bottle had a little bit of funk upon opening, but the bones were definitely there. Allowed this one to chill out a bit on the table and figure its stuff out. After about 15 minutes, this one had blown off a lot. Poured a dark black to the glass. The nose was roasted black fruit...black plums, charred blackberries. The wine was medium ++ bodied, showing smoky black figs, black plums, tar, pipe tobacco, herbal funk, and finished with a lot of chewy toasted oak tannins that had softened and showed great integration here. Honestly I think this wine is on the back end of the hill. Nowhere near being "in the gutter" but is QUITE mature. Went well with redfish, elk, spinach and oysters, and jalapeno grits. IMO if you have a bunch of this, then 1. you're lucky; 2. start drinking on 'em with a 20 minute decant. In a nice place right now!!
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Dave's 60th lunch (Porcine, Oxford Street): Decanted. Ripe, concentrated, non-delineated black fruits, plenty of sweet spice plums, slight prunes, a little alcohol prickle lends a peppery note. Juicy, dense, tends to the jammy showing black fruits but less prune on the palate, tight and drying tannins, slightly grainy tannins, long, still quite primary. Balanced, probably a little on the large side for me but very good with pigs head.
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Pretty nose, with eucalyptus and roasted herbs over blackberry and black currant fruit. The palate adds raspberry and plum to the black fruit, and it finishes with charcuterie and ginger with persistent black raspberry fruit. Powerful and generous all through.
No real signs of age, but there’s definitely nothing holding back now. Drink up, and enjoy for another 10 years at least.
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last wine of the evening (other than the midnight Le Reve bubbles) - this was a major heavyweight, plum, fig and dark berry -some earthy spice on the finish but basically a extremely well made beast.
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Decanted 2 hours before drinking over another 3 hours. Simply sublime! Absolutely in its peak drinking window. Nose not profound but that’s probably me. Flavours of dark fruit, minerals, leather and spice with a glorious texture. Tannins fully integrated and a finish went on and on and on! So pleased we have more 😊😊😊
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This wine is getting into a magnificent phase, we had the whole bottle without any food and we didn’t miss it. It’s phenomenal on its own, medium plus body, bright acidity and multidimensional. I just decant it for 5 min around 2PM and consumed from 9-11PM.
Give this one a lot of air. It changed for the better all evening. These notes are from later in the evening. Nice cherry red color Rich chocolate nose with some red fruits in there. The palate becomes rich and unctuous, cherry, chocolate, hint of warm spice. Fine tannins, sharp acidity (but not unpleasant), good balance. Finishes moderately long with dark fruits. Perhaps just a tad hot. Decant this and drink over the next 4 to 5 years.
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Big nose of camphor, raspberry, blackberry, leather, tobacco.. Mouthfeel is voluptuous....velvety.... Ripe black cherry, cough syrup, licorice, deep chocolate raspberry, With a finish that lasts and lasts.... Big Aussie blockbuster Syrah with enough acidity to keep it from becoming overly extracted and cloying...
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Decanted for 3 hours before drinking. Nice nose of cassis and tobacco. Purple, opaque, and garnet color and appearance. Blackberry and velvety on the mouth. Smooth tannins. Well balanced acidity. Medium structure. Medium finish length. Lighter body than most high-end Australian Syrah/Shiraz wines. A pleasant and excellent wine. Just not a "wow" wine, and IMO a little disappointing considering its price point.
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Decanted two hours before drinking. Deep purple/mahogany. Nose is complex and intense but not overpowering - blue and black fruits, pepper, herbs, coffee, some liquorice, violets and oak isn't too big. Full bodied, velvety texture, ripe (but not overripe) fruit and long finish. Not too much mint/eucalyptus as I find sometimes with McLaren Vale shiraz. Excellent.
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Blackberry jam and caramel on the nose. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, and plum with notes of tobacco, white pepper, and earthy spices, with moderate tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. Although this is heavily extracted, it's well balanced and not as jammy as other wines of the kind. Although this is excellent, and may improve with age, the value for money at 150+ is only average to below average. The Cellartracker drinking window looks about right.
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Wowza....great nose and flavors if not a bit on the overly extracted style...v good nonetheless.... Fans of northern Rhône style would find this too much on the fruit side of things but most wine drinkers would go Gaga over this ....
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Decanted for 2 hours. Cherries, blackberries, vanilla and a hint of tobacco on the nose and palate. Medium finish with mild tannins. Drinking so nicely. Many years left in this vintage.
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Fans of this style would probably rate it in the high nineties but I couldn’t get my pen to go over ninety-three. I really really don’t care for it. The label says 14.5 degrees alcohol but it feels more like eighteen. Impossible to cram more ripe or ultra ripe berry fruit into liquid form. If there are tannins they are dulled into submission by the fruit and alcohol. Almost a caricature of Aussie Shiraz.
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Drank while on vacation in Mississippi. Notes are after a 1.5 hour decant; consumed over the next hour, with improvement noted over that hour. On the nose, there is intense eucalyptus plus cigar box and berry. On the palate, I get cola and blackberry, some tobacco, some tar, and a lot of spice: ginger, cinnamon, and strong black pepper/some white pepper on the finish. This is one where you need to be sure to coat all areas of your mouth, because there is enough complexity to bring out many different flavors. Medium bodied, medium depth, compelling complexity, long finish. Stiff tannin at almost 12 years old, so this will continue to age and improve. Big enough, but not a massive wine. I understand why some notes describe an elegance to this one. My guess is that this peaks in 3 - 4 years, as flavors may decline faster than the tannins soften.
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Beautiful aromas of caramel, anise, and blackcherry. On the palate mouth coating spiced blackberries coupled with a wall of well integrated tannin. A food wine indeed! Wood smoked rack of lamb, or seared center cut filet. Think it could use even a few more years cellaring to tame this beastly juice.
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Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#04 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): “From a vyd planted in 1920 on a 45° ascending slope that faces due-E & has a topsoil layer of pebble ridden clay & subsoil layer of pure ironstone; The vines typically throw a crop in the vicinity of 1,000 kg/acre. These figures are extremely low, & subsequently we produce around just 500 cases for the world.”
N: A bit of funk, but attractively so; Smoke coming on as funk fades
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by some puckerish astringency which fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG, ult pleasant finish with an attractive tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. For now, may still be improving, then drinking through '26 or so? 14.5% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front!
Note: Also tasted on 12/23/17 & 12/21/18, finding it the MOST approachable in '17.
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This wine is huge. Dark red to the rim, it balances powerful dark fruits with pepper, leather, and spices. The tannins are still very present, although the wine is not hot. Alcohol is restrained in the wine. While it can be consumed now, I suggest giving it another 5 years for the tannins to subside. The wine will then deserve a higher score.
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Big and ripe, but incredibly balanced. Still could use a year or two in bottle for me. Fascinating to see where it heads. It’s a bold beast right now, wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo.
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P: LM body; NICE frt met by an puckerish astringency which transitions into a very LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS a bunch of time (4 yrs, guessing?), then making its 20th. My EXC+, Exceptional- eventually? 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front!
Note: I found this MORE approachable on 12/23/2017.
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A true classic Syrah - deep purple with good acidity, very balanced brimming with plum and berry. Long finish with great depth and subtle undertones of cedar and tobacco. The ‘08 is in a good place with some years to go. Paired with lamb chops and jerk chicken. A great Aussie representation and definitely a star.
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P: Med body; Rndish entry with INTENSE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a balancing acidic astringency which SLOWLY, SEAMLESSLY evolves into a VERY LONG, TANGY/swt finish with notes of spice & very, VERY fine tannins. APPROACHABLE now with food, this DESERVES until mid '20, I'm guessing, then POSS making its 20th? OUTSTANDINGLY done! :) 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front! [This vendor's $139.95 is as good as anything I could find on wine-searcher.]
Addendum: I found this LESS approachable on 12/21/2018 & 10/4/19.
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Enjoyed with Mike and Robin. Opened 2 hours before enjoying Dark purple almost opaque Nose changes as it was open longer At first fruit dominant with dark berry, pine and as it was open a hint of funk/ forest floor. Big fruit on the palate with great complexity and long finish. Drink now this 2008 is in a good spot
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Also from a mag. Very Aussie and not necessarily int he good way. You can get the alcohol. Like a berry stew a bit. There's some interest there, but next to a Grange it is just not in the same league.
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If you want to experience different styles of Shiraz from Australia, try a Mollydooker Carnival of Love and an Astralis. I enjoy both, but while the Carnival of Love is a fruit-forward, full-throttle wine, Astralis is a restrained, balanced, even subtle wine. I prefer this by itself as opposed to paired with food. Beautiful dark fruits, layers of flavor, and a long finish highlight this wine, with no harshness on the nose or palate. It seems a little better integrated and a bit livelier than it was two years ago.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple in color; basically cannot see through glass dark with no signs of aging. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of intense & jammy, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & black plums with overtones of dried herbal notes of mint/anise/fennel & floral notes, earthy/dusty, loam/forest floor, beefy, pepper, tar, minerals, cocoa, vanilla & toasty oak in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of somewhat balanced (low acidity?) & still rough textured, intense & jammy, ripe fruit flavors of sweet dark cherries, blackberries & dark plums with herbs, spices, minerals, cocoa, vanilla & toasty oak. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & much needed extended airing but definitely needs additional aging to fully develop. A deep, intense and powerful wine but appears to be a bit shy in the middle palate.
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S&E Wine Society - New World Reds 95+ Rating (S&E): Blind Tasting MOT=90 Color: Deep Purple Nose: Like maple syrup and bacon, along with some berries Palate: Syrup thickness Opinion: Needs time too jammy and thick right now. needs to open up more
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This wine wasn't at all what I expected. My girlfriend commented on how mild it was, and I agree. As EpochMD said in a previous review, it's "deliciously flat." It didn't have that Aussie jammy quality I expected. Instead, it was very restrained and subtle. Delicious, to be sure, but nothing in your face about it. A perfect and delicious sipping wine, it's one that I won't pair with food, but will enjoy while I sit on the deck and read.
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Opened, Vinturi into decanter and then consumed after from 1-3 hours in the decanter.
Bottom line - deliciously, velvety smooth, but seems to have peaked at least on this tasting, I was expecting something more explosive - and for the cost, I think that some of the younger wines from mclaren vale offer more for the money - Molly Dooker Carnival of Love comes to mind immediately. Still have another bottle left, will give it some time - maybe its just transitioning.
That being said, this wine has a delicious brooding nose which mirrors its flavor - dark cherry, hints of chocolate which remains silky smooth throughout.
I believe that is where the problem with this wine sits - there isn't a beautiful crescendo, decrescendo, finish - it just seems, flat. Deliciously flat, but nothing stands out. I wanted fireworks. All I got was beautiful sparklers . . .
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Smokey, beefy nose with some green pepper. Black pepper. The palate is beefy, with some more savory notes and just a hint of red fruit. Very savory. Northern rhonish. Delicious with steak.
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(Mich&Bo@LangtonsVI) It is not easy to have a wine blow you away twice, a year apart, standing tall out of a multitude of stellar wines in both instances. Deep dark rich fruit, perfumey roses, dense, textural, juicy, yet clean. Rather back-of-throat, with a ringing purity, glowing dark fruit, rich velvet. Effortlessly and precisely balanced in taut tension. Exciting and impressive. WOTN!
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Langton's Classification Tasting (Carraigeworks, Sydney): Plenty of oak but has lashes of fruit to back it up - raspberry, black currant, eucalyptus and violets. Rich and full on the palate, there is a core of minerality that keeps it fresh and away from being too full on. Really liked this.
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(Langtons w Mich&Bo) WOAH! Dark, opulent nose drenched in seductive violets, dusty florals, blue fruit and ringing gumdrops. Palate shows complex but focussed cool sweetness and rich chinese savory spices and cooled asphat. Effortlessly intense, with all that is goodly about wine. Keeps giving. Finish is truly impeccable, stylish, charming, supple with restrained sousbois and dark, damp temperate rainforest smells, with yet more sweet leather, soft dark loam and mocha. Certainly impressive stuff from their 95-year vines. INcredibly approachable now, but possibly try every decade for the next 50 years.
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12/28/2023 - EricLi wrote: 94 Points
Feel it just entered its drinking window. Would need a little time to fully open up. Unfortunately we consumed it too fast. But from what we could sense in a small window, this is an excellent wine worthing cellaring and savoring on special occasions.
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8/31/2023 - mflesh wrote: 93 Points
This bottle had a little bit of funk upon opening, but the bones were definitely there. Allowed this one to chill out a bit on the table and figure its stuff out. After about 15 minutes, this one had blown off a lot. Poured a dark black to the glass. The nose was roasted black fruit...black plums, charred blackberries. The wine was medium ++ bodied, showing smoky black figs, black plums, tar, pipe tobacco, herbal funk, and finished with a lot of chewy toasted oak tannins that had softened and showed great integration here. Honestly I think this wine is on the back end of the hill. Nowhere near being "in the gutter" but is QUITE mature. Went well with redfish, elk, spinach and oysters, and jalapeno grits. IMO if you have a bunch of this, then 1. you're lucky; 2. start drinking on 'em with a 20 minute decant. In a nice place right now!!
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4/16/2023 - chatters wrote:
Dave's 60th lunch (Porcine, Oxford Street): Decanted. Ripe, concentrated, non-delineated black fruits, plenty of sweet spice plums, slight prunes, a little alcohol prickle lends a peppery note. Juicy, dense, tends to the jammy showing black fruits but less prune on the palate, tight and drying tannins, slightly grainy tannins, long, still quite primary. Balanced, probably a little on the large side for me but very good with pigs head.
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2/11/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big and bold, deep color, characteristic flavors of an Aussie Shiraz with out the heavy jammy palate feel. Good length on the finish. Drink or hold.
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8/6/2022 - Hugh Donnelly wrote:
Sublime shiraz could go 5 more years tannins gone though
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2/24/2022 - MarshallLi wrote: 91 Points
Nice on the nose, but disappointed on the palate.
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2/3/2022 - levicn wrote: 93 Points
开瓶即饮，中宝石红色，闻香有薄荷，橄榄，淡淡肉鲜，杨梅和泥土气息，还有些胡椒一类的香料味，入口酸度高，酒液咸鲜，单宁紧致，量大，有些抓舌，湿石头的矿物感，草本植物根茎和橄榄的味道，山楂和李子一类的果香，后段有着薄荷的清凉，植物的微苦以及橄榄的回甘，还能感受到胡椒的香料辛辣感，余味是香草，杨梅和木质香气，非常持久。刚开瓶就能感受到漂亮的集中度和不小的结构，有着超越一般澳洲西拉的严肃，深邃而又复杂。进醒酒器进一步醒酒，酒体和单宁感开始变强，青味逐渐明显。两个半小时后进入一个相对平衡的状态，比刚开瓶略微甜美些，香草奶油味更加明显，酒体强劲，香气也更加丰富和浓郁，青椒，紫罗兰，黑莓混合着烤面包和香料味，喉间能感受到一些辛辣感，余味是奶油，红果和浓郁的香草味，香气爆棚。结构宏大的一支酒，复杂的香气和口感令人印象深刻，矿物质的咸感，橄榄的回甘，植物味混合着果香，还有橡木桶带来的香料味交织在一起，层次丰富。现在饮用年轻而又强壮，远没有达到巅峰，也许还要十年才进入它的最佳适饮期。
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1/23/2022 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Pretty nose, with eucalyptus and roasted herbs over blackberry and black currant fruit. The palate adds raspberry and plum to the black fruit, and it finishes with charcuterie and ginger with persistent black raspberry fruit. Powerful and generous all through.
No real signs of age, but there’s definitely nothing holding back now. Drink up, and enjoy for another 10 years at least.
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1/21/2022 - Costes76 wrote: 90 Points
Disappointingly all-brawny, linear and sweetish for a RP99
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1/15/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruit, good nose and berry palate, dry finish. Drink/hold
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1/3/2022 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely superb example of Oz Shiraz.
Great fruit, lovely texture and long spicy finish.
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12/31/2021 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
last wine of the evening (other than the midnight Le Reve bubbles) - this was a major heavyweight, plum, fig and dark berry -some earthy spice on the finish but basically a extremely well made beast.
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12/10/2021 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 90 Points
It’s a juicy wine that’s smooth wine with lots of secondary flavors.
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10/11/2021 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow….
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9/5/2021 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted 2 hours before drinking over another 3 hours.
Simply sublime!
Absolutely in its peak drinking window.
Nose not profound but that’s probably me.
Flavours of dark fruit, minerals, leather and spice with a glorious texture.
Tannins fully integrated and a finish went on and on and on!
So pleased we have more 😊😊😊
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6/25/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is getting into a magnificent phase, we had the whole bottle without any food and we didn’t miss it. It’s phenomenal on its own, medium plus body, bright acidity and multidimensional. I just decant it for 5 min around 2PM and consumed from 9-11PM.
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6/18/2021 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 90 Points
Give this one a lot of air. It changed for the better all evening. These notes are from later in the evening. Nice cherry red color Rich chocolate nose with some red fruits in there. The palate becomes rich and unctuous, cherry, chocolate, hint of warm spice. Fine tannins, sharp acidity (but not unpleasant), good balance. Finishes moderately long with dark fruits. Perhaps just a tad hot. Decant this and drink over the next 4 to 5 years.
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11/20/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big nose of camphor, raspberry, blackberry, leather, tobacco..
Mouthfeel is voluptuous....velvety....
Ripe black cherry, cough syrup, licorice, deep chocolate raspberry,
With a finish that lasts and lasts....
Big Aussie blockbuster Syrah with enough acidity to keep it from becoming overly extracted and cloying...
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11/7/2020 - tundraline Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours before drinking. Nice nose of cassis and tobacco. Purple, opaque, and garnet color and appearance. Blackberry and velvety on the mouth. Smooth tannins. Well balanced acidity. Medium structure. Medium finish length. Lighter body than most high-end Australian Syrah/Shiraz wines. A pleasant and excellent wine. Just not a "wow" wine, and IMO a little disappointing considering its price point.
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10/24/2020 - BAJRiley Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted two hours before drinking. Deep purple/mahogany. Nose is complex and intense but not overpowering - blue and black fruits, pepper, herbs, coffee, some liquorice, violets and oak isn't too big. Full bodied, velvety texture, ripe (but not overripe) fruit and long finish. Not too much mint/eucalyptus as I find sometimes with McLaren Vale shiraz. Excellent.
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9/14/2020 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Blackberry jam and caramel on the nose. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, and plum with notes of tobacco, white pepper, and earthy spices, with moderate tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. Although this is heavily extracted, it's well balanced and not as jammy as other wines of the kind. Although this is excellent, and may improve with age, the value for money at 150+ is only average to below average. The Cellartracker drinking window looks about right.
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7/10/2020 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Grape sherbet, but not sweet. Just seamlessly smooth and creamy.
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6/7/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wowza....great nose and flavors if not a bit on the overly extracted style...v good nonetheless....
Fans of northern Rhône style would find this too much on the fruit side of things but most wine drinkers would go Gaga over this ....
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2/9/2020 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Cherries, blackberries, vanilla and a hint of tobacco on the nose and palate. Medium finish with mild tannins. Drinking so nicely. Many years left in this vintage.
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2/8/2020 - sdr Does not like this wine: 93 Points
Fans of this style would probably rate it in the high nineties but I couldn’t get my pen to go over ninety-three. I really really don’t care for it. The label says 14.5 degrees alcohol but it feels more like eighteen. Impossible to cram more ripe or ultra ripe berry fruit into liquid form. If there are tannins they are dulled into submission by the fruit and alcohol. Almost a caricature of Aussie Shiraz.
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12/16/2019 - CabinConnoisseur Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank while on vacation in Mississippi. Notes are after a 1.5 hour decant; consumed over the next hour, with improvement noted over that hour. On the nose, there is intense eucalyptus plus cigar box and berry. On the palate, I get cola and blackberry, some tobacco, some tar, and a lot of spice: ginger, cinnamon, and strong black pepper/some white pepper on the finish. This is one where you need to be sure to coat all areas of your mouth, because there is enough complexity to bring out many different flavors. Medium bodied, medium depth, compelling complexity, long finish. Stiff tannin at almost 12 years old, so this will continue to age and improve. Big enough, but not a massive wine. I understand why some notes describe an elegance to this one. My guess is that this peaks in 3 - 4 years, as flavors may decline faster than the tannins soften.
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10/31/2019 - R.Jos.Valent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful aromas of caramel, anise, and blackcherry. On the palate
mouth coating spiced blackberries coupled with a wall of well integrated tannin. A food wine indeed! Wood smoked rack of lamb, or seared center cut filet. Think it could use even a few more years cellaring to tame this beastly juice.
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10/4/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#04 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): “From a vyd planted in 1920 on a 45° ascending slope that faces due-E & has a topsoil layer of pebble ridden clay & subsoil layer of pure ironstone; The vines typically throw a crop in the vicinity of 1,000 kg/acre. These figures are extremely low, & subsequently we produce around just 500 cases for the world.”
N: A bit of funk, but attractively so; Smoke coming on as funk fades
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by some puckerish astringency which fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG, ult pleasant finish with an attractive tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. For now, may still be improving, then drinking through '26 or so? 14.5% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front!
Note: Also tasted on 12/23/17 & 12/21/18, finding it the MOST approachable in '17.
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8/24/2019 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not as huge as you might expect, blueberry and plum mix with olive and earth tones - certainly drinking well, a small decant helped
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6/12/2019 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is amazing. Old world Syrah feel. Loads of complexity and depth. Structure to age for years to come. Iresistable right now.
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1/27/2019 - Stevere Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is huge. Dark red to the rim, it balances powerful dark fruits with pepper, leather, and spices. The tannins are still very present, although the wine is not hot. Alcohol is restrained in the wine. While it can be consumed now, I suggest giving it another 5 years for the tannins to subside. The wine will then deserve a higher score.
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12/31/2018 - danielbleier wrote:
no score as we opened this at the end of the NYE celebration and my taste buds were shot.
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12/30/2018 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and ripe, but incredibly balanced. Still could use a year or two in bottle for me. Fascinating to see where it heads. It’s a bold beast right now, wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo.
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12/21/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: My 1st "Killer Bar" (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: RIPE with a distinct smokiness, maybe mocha?
P: LM body; NICE frt met by an puckerish astringency which transitions into a very LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS a bunch of time (4 yrs, guessing?), then making its 20th. My EXC+, Exceptional- eventually? 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front!
Note: I found this MORE approachable on 12/23/2017.
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4/20/2018 - Czara96 wrote: 94 Points
A true classic Syrah - deep purple with good acidity, very balanced brimming with plum and berry. Long finish with great depth and subtle undertones of cedar and tobacco. The ‘08 is in a good place with some years to go. Paired with lamb chops and jerk chicken. A great Aussie representation and definitely a star.
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12/23/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [8 HIGH end Reds & 2 Shared Bottles] from 12/22/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: RIPE, smoky, cured meats; Rock candy [THANK you, budosyu] with air/swirling
P: Med body; Rndish entry with INTENSE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a balancing acidic astringency which SLOWLY, SEAMLESSLY evolves into a VERY LONG, TANGY/swt finish with notes of spice & very, VERY fine tannins. APPROACHABLE now with food, this DESERVES until mid '20, I'm guessing, then POSS making its 20th? OUTSTANDINGLY done! :) 97 pts WA, 95 Jeremy Oliver, 94 ea Huon Hooke, WS, & WE, 92 Wine & Spirits, and 91 The Wine Front! [This vendor's $139.95 is as good as anything I could find on wine-searcher.]
Addendum: I found this LESS approachable on 12/21/2018 & 10/4/19.
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10/27/2017 - fritza Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed with Mike and Robin.
Opened 2 hours before enjoying
Dark purple almost opaque
Nose changes as it was open longer
At first fruit dominant with dark berry, pine and as it was open a hint of funk/ forest floor.
Big fruit on the palate with great complexity and long finish. Drink now this 2008 is in a good spot
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9/15/2017 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Also from a mag. Very Aussie and not necessarily int he good way. You can get the alcohol. Like a berry stew a bit. There's some interest there, but next to a Grange it is just not in the same league.
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6/9/2017 - Crunge Likes this wine: 95 Points
If you want to experience different styles of Shiraz from Australia, try a Mollydooker Carnival of Love and an Astralis. I enjoy both, but while the Carnival of Love is a fruit-forward, full-throttle wine, Astralis is a restrained, balanced, even subtle wine. I prefer this by itself as opposed to paired with food. Beautiful dark fruits, layers of flavor, and a long finish highlight this wine, with no harshness on the nose or palate. It seems a little better integrated and a bit livelier than it was two years ago.
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12/21/2016 - Vinnut wrote: 93 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple in color; basically cannot see through glass dark with no signs of aging. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of intense & jammy, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & black plums with overtones of dried herbal notes of mint/anise/fennel & floral notes, earthy/dusty, loam/forest floor, beefy, pepper, tar, minerals, cocoa, vanilla & toasty oak in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of somewhat balanced (low acidity?) & still rough textured, intense & jammy, ripe fruit flavors of sweet dark cherries, blackberries & dark plums with herbs, spices, minerals, cocoa, vanilla & toasty oak. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & much needed extended airing but definitely needs additional aging to fully develop. A deep, intense and powerful wine but appears to be a bit shy in the middle palate.
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10/1/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 96 Points
Perfect pairing for grilled ahi tuna, ponzu, fried rice.
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10/1/2016 - bonedoc wrote: flawed
Corked so sad
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8/17/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 94 Points
Vinturi and decanted 2-3 hours
Intense blackcurrant and herb aromatics, spreading wide as decanted
Soft, lovely balance, fruit dominant with mineral, fennel edging into pepper
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4/20/2016 - bonedoc wrote:
Jammy, ripe, rich, buttery/oak low acid. Less balanced than other astralis' I've had. A+ for fruit, but C for balance. Overall a B+/A-
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12/13/2015 - JHall106 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Superb.
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9/26/2015 - jmcmchi wrote: 93 Points
Substitute at short notice for La Chapelle
Turned out to be a blessing
Beautiful fruit, restrained for Oz, but then it is labelled Syrah so perhaps we should expect something closer to Rhone than Barossa
Nose has refined minerality with light tar; on palate, balance and integrated tannins and fruit. Finish is long, pepper gentle on the back
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9/18/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 90 Points
S&E Wine Society - New World Reds 95+ Rating (S&E): Blind Tasting MOT=90
Color: Deep Purple
Nose: Like maple syrup and bacon, along with some berries
Palate: Syrup thickness
Opinion: Needs time too jammy and thick right now. needs to open up more
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6/21/2015 - Crunge Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine wasn't at all what I expected. My girlfriend commented on how mild it was, and I agree. As EpochMD said in a previous review, it's "deliciously flat." It didn't have that Aussie jammy quality I expected. Instead, it was very restrained and subtle. Delicious, to be sure, but nothing in your face about it. A perfect and delicious sipping wine, it's one that I won't pair with food, but will enjoy while I sit on the deck and read.
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5/24/2015 - kimpossible Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby red color. Floral / herbal on the nose. Really thick, deep, intense and powerful wine. Tastes like black pepper. Drink with steak.
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4/20/2015 - Niagara wrote: 93 Points
Good wine but not getting the thrill others have reported.
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3/25/2015 - EpochMD Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened, Vinturi into decanter and then consumed after from 1-3 hours in the decanter.
Bottom line - deliciously, velvety smooth, but seems to have peaked at least on this tasting, I was expecting something more explosive - and for the cost, I think that some of the younger wines from mclaren vale offer more for the money - Molly Dooker Carnival of Love comes to mind immediately. Still have another bottle left, will give it some time - maybe its just transitioning.
That being said, this wine has a delicious brooding nose which mirrors its flavor - dark cherry, hints of chocolate which remains silky smooth throughout.
I believe that is where the problem with this wine sits - there isn't a beautiful crescendo, decrescendo, finish - it just seems, flat. Deliciously flat, but nothing stands out. I wanted fireworks. All I got was beautiful sparklers . . .
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12/19/2014 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Smokey, beefy nose with some green pepper. Black pepper. The palate is beefy, with some more savory notes and just a hint of red fruit. Very savory. Northern rhonish. Delicious with steak.
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5/15/2014 - JerM wrote: 97 Points
(Mich&Bo@LangtonsVI) It is not easy to have a wine blow you away twice, a year apart, standing tall out of a multitude of stellar wines in both instances. Deep dark rich fruit, perfumey roses, dense, textural, juicy, yet clean. Rather back-of-throat, with a ringing purity, glowing dark fruit, rich velvet. Effortlessly and precisely balanced in taut tension. Exciting and impressive. WOTN!
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9/5/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Langton's Classification Tasting (Carraigeworks, Sydney): Plenty of oak but has lashes of fruit to back it up - raspberry, black currant, eucalyptus and violets. Rich and full on the palate, there is a core of minerality that keeps it fresh and away from being too full on. Really liked this.
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9/5/2013 - JerM wrote: 97 Points
(Langtons w Mich&Bo) WOAH! Dark, opulent nose drenched in seductive violets, dusty florals, blue fruit and ringing gumdrops. Palate shows complex but focussed cool sweetness and rich chinese savory spices and cooled asphat. Effortlessly intense, with all that is goodly about wine. Keeps giving. Finish is truly impeccable, stylish, charming, supple with restrained sousbois and dark, damp temperate rainforest smells, with yet more sweet leather, soft dark loam and mocha. Certainly impressive stuff from their 95-year vines. INcredibly approachable now, but possibly try every decade for the next 50 years.
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