Ha, last tasting note on this is 8 years old, but I found a bottle in the bargain bin and took a chance. Sweet eucalyptus, smoky, spicy palate with plenty of candied fruit. I'd say this is drinking as well as ever. Not really my style, but it certainly aged respectably.
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Spicy and peppery. Smooth and very tasty. Dark in color and full of berries. Really liked it. Lots of sediment in the bottle--maybe decant to filter silt but would not influence taste.
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couldn't keep my hands off this. needed a tuesday night bottle and since it was only $8 it was the winner. didn't take notes, but the oak was much more integrated thasn my first bottle. a real surprise since it had only been 6 weeks since the last one, so maybe bottle variation or travel shock. anyway it was much cleaner and shows promise. hopefully i can hold off on the next for 6 months.
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decant for 90 minutes, drank over 3 hours, lots of sediment. nose of herbal anise, blackberry and oak. the palate has lots of blackberry with licorice and oak. finishes fairly long, but slightly bitter. takes some time for the acid to come out, but it is fairly well balanced. there is just no making up for the intense oak, surprising considering the age of this bottle. i didn't notice any signs decline, so i will try to give these some time for the oak to hopefully integrate more fully. could potentially go several points higher.
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Decanted and tasted, iniicialy smelt like dirty laundry, this blew off after 30 min or so, revealing very ripe, rich, jammy, heavy extracted dark fruits and oak that are big and intense. Detected no heat on the nose or palate, just lots of bang for the buck.
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Very strong value from Barossa Valley. Ripe, extracted fruit of dark plum, currant and blackberry with spice and black pepper on the finish. Juicy mouthfeel and good balance for the price.
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This is your typical big Aussie shiraz: jammy, hot and full bodied. Not my style because behind all the very ripe blackberry, plum, and chocolate it finishes with a sweetness which makes this wine not really balanced and after a glass, that's enough.
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Beautiful deep red purple color, nice clarity. I smell a hint of corn-on-the-cob at the very beginning, then floral and blueberry with a touch of heat. Peppery black cherry and berry flavors, very nice. Multiple layers. Very long finish. Big fruit balances the alcohol well. Tannins moderate and soft.
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Nice little Shiraz. I was a bit leery about the almost 15% listed on the lable, but its not as aparent as I thought it would be. Hints of Saffron, fruit and spice on the nose, with green peppercorns and more fruit on the palate. The alcohol was apparent on the finish however.
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Wow! This is a heck of a Shiraz. I agree with WS that it needs to sit for a year or two to tone down the pizazz! However, I paired this with a pizza with crushed red pepper. It even overpowered that! Loads of fruit...loads of tannin. The nose is FULL of blueberry pie. A hint of oak on the nose as well. After about an hour...the more complex flavors like cola, spices, vanilla started to appear. This is going to be a staple wine for me.
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I enjoyed this wine very much and plan to buy some more. It was a complex flavor. I noted a licorice and some dark berry flavors. there is a bit of a bite at the front, but I would like to see how this would age. My guess is that it will age well. Enjoy!
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Great dark ruby color. Young and "basic" at the opening, but explodes with aroma and flavor after about 30 minutes. Decanted for around 30 minutes, but could have used another 30-45 minutes for better short term maturity. Bouquet is of blueberry, oak, tar and "vicks-like" camphor at the end. Flavor explodes in your mouth with just the right amount of wine in a good shiraz type glass. After about an hour or drinking, tastes of mocha, chocolate, cream and berries were dominant. Great feel of silkiness and creamy texture in the mouth. Overall, a great valued wine with big flavor. Will buy more in the very near future to cellar for 3-4 years.
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Initially a very supple shiraz, with lots of blackberry fruit. Some tar and notable bitter tannins on the finish though. Not a 91 pointer at this juncture. May get better if the tannins and bitterness fade with a few years age. This isn't ready yet.
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Nice Aussie shiraz!! Big full nose right out of the bottle. Deep purple, lots of fruit. Blueberry, plum. Long finish. Held up for several hours in decanter. Full tannins, not overwhelming. Great for price. Will buy more and cellar for years.
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Pretty decent bottle of wine. I'd say it was fairly typical for an Aussie Shiraz. A big nose of fruit and spice. Seemed like a lot of alcohol on the nose too. Tasted as good as it smelled too. I'd buy this again, especially for the $15 price tag.
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Black hole purple. Earthy nose right out out of the bottle which blows off to reveal plum, black cherry, pepper and baking chocolate. Creamy mouthfeel. Tannins and acidity in balance as is the sweet and heat. Very nice finish. For $14. this is a great cellar defender!
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Heady aromas of superripe sweet black fruit and spice with notes of vanilla. Mouthfilling, expansive and soft showing light acidity and fine grained tannins on a good flavorful finish. Dry and very rich. Very close to being over the top, but delicious. Drink this one for pleasure, not analysis. Recommended.
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Aromatics are potent with powerful red fruit and oak, very sweet on the nose with gorgeous cherry/berry fruit. A bit hot, but for the most part more of the same red fruit, thick and syrupy with mouth coating tanins and a tart finish. In the vein of MP, another nicely priced Aussie fruit fest. You got to be impressed how much mother nature packs into these South Australia grapes.
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Deep garnet color, great nose, concentrated black fruit front and pepper finish, drank with rack of lamb from Outback, matched perfectly. I need to get a few more bottles of this one.
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Another big jammy shiraz. This one has enough tannins to give to balance out the fruit. Drank it straight after opening (unscrewing) the bottle. It is very young, but very drinkable now. Lots of spice dark cherry some cola. Long finish. Definitely worth the price at around $15, in fact, a steal.
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Showing an extremely dark and thick purple red color with a huge nose of blueberry/boysenberry syrup, graphite, and some heat/pepper. As expected on the palate this is big and fat with concentrated dark spicy fruit, however I find this has an elegant entry and a smooth mouthfeel. The smoky tannins are well balanced and the finish carries this wine well. Some may find this over the top but I think it is a solid value.
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Big, voluminous nose. Peppery and floral scents with some toasted oak. Tannic, hints of chocolate and wood on the finish. The bouquet and flavors weren't appealing or enjoyable to my palate.
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This wine was a very dark, teeth-staining purple. Plenty of blackberry and floral aromas. Initially it was full-bodied, very sweet and thick, with more blackberry, raisin, very ripe plum, and dark chocolate. Yet, on the finish, I thought there was some bitterness. Definitely a lot going on.
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and now for a different point of view......if you served me this wine blind I would have said $30 - $40 wine meriting a score that starts with a 9. Expressive nose of earth and pepper, followed by thick, black, fruity palate.... but with some refreshing acidity to balance it all out...and a 30 second plus finish. All that and $14.99! Wish i had ordered a case....
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Dark purple in color. Nose shows blackberry, plum, tar, and spice. On the palate, blackberry, creosote, and spice are framed by decent acidity and manageable tannins. As a bonus, it comes in a cool bottle considering it's about $15.
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2/3/2020 - robmatic wrote:
Ha, last tasting note on this is 8 years old, but I found a bottle in the bargain bin and took a chance. Sweet eucalyptus, smoky, spicy palate with plenty of candied fruit. I'd say this is drinking as well as ever. Not really my style, but it certainly aged respectably.
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1/5/2012 - joet626 wrote: 90 Points
Spicy and peppery. Smooth and very tasty. Dark in color and full of berries. Really liked it.
Lots of sediment in the bottle--maybe decant to filter silt but would not influence taste.
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11/24/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Solid wine with lots of fruit, but wouldn't go out of my way to purchase.
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11/23/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 91 Points
couldn't keep my hands off this. needed a tuesday night bottle and since it was only $8 it was the winner. didn't take notes, but the oak was much more integrated thasn my first bottle. a real surprise since it had only been 6 weeks since the last one, so maybe bottle variation or travel shock. anyway it was much cleaner and shows promise. hopefully i can hold off on the next for 6 months.
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10/8/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 89 Points
decant for 90 minutes, drank over 3 hours, lots of sediment. nose of herbal anise, blackberry and oak. the palate has lots of blackberry with licorice and oak. finishes fairly long, but slightly bitter. takes some time for the acid to come out, but it is fairly well balanced. there is just no making up for the intense oak, surprising considering the age of this bottle. i didn't notice any signs decline, so i will try to give these some time for the oak to hopefully integrate more fully. could potentially go several points higher.
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3/1/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Big fruit lots of glycerin typical Dan Phillips Henrys drive style but pretty good
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11/24/2010 - ogres3 wrote:
Fairly typical aussie fruit bomb. Not outstanding but at least a high 80s.
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6/6/2010 - schway wrote: 78 Points
Heavy, flabby, tired.
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9/6/2009 - pfruge wrote: 90 Points
Coffee, cola.
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5/23/2009 - pfruge wrote: 91 Points
Toasty, coffee, liquorice
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5/10/2009 - profiler54 wrote: 88 Points
Big fruit bomb a typical aussi shiraz. It needs some time to soften the tannins.
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3/22/2009 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
Decanted and tasted, iniicialy smelt like dirty laundry, this blew off after 30 min or so, revealing very ripe, rich, jammy, heavy extracted dark fruits and oak that are big and intense. Detected no heat on the nose or palate, just lots of bang for the buck.
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7/11/2008 - MurphyCellar wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully balanced shiraz... deep berry fruit with some smoky/spice flavor and a silky, elegant finish.
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5/8/2008 - tthorn wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyable enough, but not special. Blueberry, blackberry, cinnamon, and spice. Alcohol level isn't too high given it's an Aussie wine.
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3/29/2008 - atun53 wrote: 90 Points
Patience paid off with this one. Lush dark fruit, smooth finish. Very happy to have one more.
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2/3/2008 - maderay wrote: 89 Points
Excellent
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1/16/2008 - muellerkim wrote: 89 Points
Glad I laid this down for a little while.
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1/3/2008 - GolferChris wrote: 90 Points
Very strong value from Barossa Valley. Ripe, extracted fruit of dark plum, currant and blackberry with spice and black pepper on the finish. Juicy mouthfeel and good balance for the price.
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9/26/2007 - johndklopfenstein wrote: 89 Points
Fruity good, why no cork
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8/31/2007 - NuTricks wrote: 91 Points
Wow. Great nose. Quite smooth. Very yummy!
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8/29/2007 - french16 wrote: 86 Points
This is your typical big Aussie shiraz: jammy, hot and full bodied. Not my style because behind all the very ripe blackberry, plum, and chocolate it finishes with a sweetness which makes this wine not really balanced and after a glass, that's enough.
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8/12/2007 - mlgold2b wrote: 70 Points
Extremely hot and unbalanced.
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7/18/2007 - topher18 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful deep red purple color, nice clarity.
I smell a hint of corn-on-the-cob at the very beginning, then floral and blueberry with a touch of heat.
Peppery black cherry and berry flavors, very nice. Multiple layers.
Very long finish. Big fruit balances the alcohol well. Tannins moderate and soft.
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3/17/2007 - cvvhrn wrote: 84 Points
Nice little Shiraz. I was a bit leery about the almost 15% listed on the lable, but its not as aparent as I thought it would be. Hints of Saffron, fruit and spice on the nose, with green peppercorns and more fruit on the palate. The alcohol was apparent on the finish however.
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12/1/2006 - BSteffes wrote: 91 Points
Wow! This is a heck of a Shiraz. I agree with WS that it needs to sit for a year or two to tone down the pizazz! However, I paired this with a pizza with crushed red pepper. It even overpowered that! Loads of fruit...loads of tannin. The nose is FULL of blueberry pie. A hint of oak on the nose as well. After about an hour...the more complex flavors like cola, spices, vanilla started to appear. This is going to be a staple wine for me.
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10/22/2006 - the rookie wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this wine very much and plan to buy some more. It was a complex flavor. I noted a licorice and some dark berry flavors. there is a bit of a bite at the front, but I would like to see how this would age. My guess is that it will age well. Enjoy!
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10/20/2006 - ghonzo wrote:
Had it by itself, but would pair with beef really well. Nice flavor, but not a huge wine.
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10/11/2006 - markandsara wrote: 91 Points
Great dark ruby color. Young and "basic" at the opening, but explodes with aroma and flavor after about 30 minutes. Decanted for around 30 minutes, but could have used another 30-45 minutes for better short term maturity. Bouquet is of blueberry, oak, tar and "vicks-like" camphor at the end. Flavor explodes in your mouth with just the right amount of wine in a good shiraz type glass. After about an hour or drinking, tastes of mocha, chocolate, cream and berries were dominant. Great feel of silkiness and creamy texture in the mouth. Overall, a great valued wine with big flavor. Will buy more in the very near future to cellar for 3-4 years.
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10/7/2006 - areid wrote: 90 Points
mmmmm... I love this wine. Chewy!
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9/26/2006 - spacewrangler wrote: 85 Points
Very dark color, strong nose of dark fruit and chocolate. Plummy, jammy taste, tannins are a little much. I'd let this sit in your cellar.
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9/23/2006 - Old_Winyards wrote: 87 Points
Initially a very supple shiraz, with lots of blackberry fruit. Some tar and notable bitter tannins on the finish though. Not a 91 pointer at this juncture. May get better if the tannins and bitterness fade with a few years age. This isn't ready yet.
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9/16/2006 - MichaelF wrote: 91 Points
Nice Aussie shiraz!! Big full nose right out of the bottle. Deep purple, lots of fruit. Blueberry, plum. Long finish. Held up for several hours in decanter. Full tannins, not overwhelming. Great for price. Will buy more and cellar for years.
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9/12/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 90 Points
Good bottle of Austrailian shiraz. Good nose, and nice sweet tannins. Lots of fruit and dark purple color.
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9/10/2006 - East Dallas Wino wrote: 88 Points
Another heavyweight aussie shiraz from the grateful palate. Good, affordable once a week wine.
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9/10/2006 - jrglm wrote: 87 Points
Pretty decent bottle of wine. I'd say it was fairly typical for an Aussie Shiraz. A big nose of fruit and spice. Seemed like a lot of alcohol on the nose too. Tasted as good as it smelled too. I'd buy this again, especially for the $15 price tag.
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9/3/2006 - Yablonsky wrote: 87 Points
I think this was a bit harsh...not very smooth. Pretty tannic and short lived in taste...not worth buying again
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9/1/2006 - NuTricks wrote: 91 Points
Black hole purple. Earthy nose right out out of the bottle which blows off to reveal plum, black cherry, pepper and baking chocolate. Creamy mouthfeel. Tannins and acidity in balance as is the sweet and heat. Very nice finish. For $14. this is a great cellar defender!
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8/12/2006 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
Over the top fruit bomb with lots of alcohol. Very dense a aggressive palate, a bit too much for my taste. Definately decant.
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8/12/2006 - CooGAR wrote: 89 Points
Excellent value! Very dark, thick color. Lots of fruit. Will buy more!
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8/11/2006 - Bin242 wrote:
Heady aromas of superripe sweet black fruit and spice with notes of vanilla. Mouthfilling, expansive and soft showing light acidity and fine grained tannins on a good flavorful finish. Dry and very rich. Very close to being over the top, but delicious. Drink this one for pleasure, not analysis. Recommended.
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7/21/2006 - olivethegreat wrote: 89 Points
good value, very drinkable. jammy.
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7/18/2006 - N2Vin wrote: 89 Points
Aromatics are potent with powerful red fruit and oak, very sweet on the nose with gorgeous cherry/berry fruit.
A bit hot, but for the most part more of the same red fruit, thick and syrupy with mouth coating tanins and a tart finish.
In the vein of MP, another nicely priced Aussie fruit fest. You got to be impressed how much mother nature packs into these South Australia grapes.
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7/18/2006 - Cardslinger wrote: 89 Points
Deep garnet color, great nose, concentrated black fruit front and pepper finish, drank with rack of lamb from Outback, matched perfectly. I need to get a few more bottles of this one.
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7/14/2006 - cellarbrator wrote:
Not as big as I was expecting, but great Shiraz.
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5/19/2006 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 91 Points
Everything you want in a Shiraz. Beautiful color, full nose and gorgeous fruit flavor. A definite best buy.
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5/16/2006 - LC17SMP wrote: 88 Points
Good wine for the money. Love the concentration.
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5/11/2006 - borneman wrote: 88 Points
Big, fruity Aussie Shiraz. Inky color, medium long finish.
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4/10/2006 - NobleRot wrote: 89 Points
True Aussie shiraz. Nose of dark fruits, and camphor. Huge palate. Okay palate and just a tad hot on the finish. Not a very good QPR at $18, IMO.
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3/23/2006 - DesMarteau wrote: 89 Points
Nice concentration...very fruity, concentrated, extracted tasting aussie shiraz.
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3/23/2006 - dabovino wrote: 90 Points
Another big jammy shiraz. This one has enough tannins to give to balance out the fruit. Drank it straight after opening (unscrewing) the bottle. It is very young, but very drinkable now. Lots of spice dark cherry some cola. Long finish. Definitely worth the price at around $15, in fact, a steal.
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3/15/2006 - Badfish wrote:
Showing an extremely dark and thick purple red color with a huge nose of blueberry/boysenberry syrup, graphite, and some heat/pepper. As expected on the palate this is big and fat with concentrated dark spicy fruit, however I find this has an elegant entry and a smooth mouthfeel. The smoky tannins are well balanced and the finish carries this wine well. Some may find this over the top but I think it is a solid value.
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2/18/2006 - merschel wrote: 85 Points
Big, voluminous nose. Peppery and floral scents with some toasted oak. Tannic, hints of chocolate and wood on the finish. The bouquet and flavors weren't appealing or enjoyable to my palate.
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2/5/2006 - rcasaw wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2 hrs..fruity and drinkable Shiraz
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12/25/2005 - MJHDC wrote: 87 Points
This wine was a very dark, teeth-staining purple. Plenty of blackberry and floral aromas. Initially it was full-bodied, very sweet and thick, with more blackberry, raisin, very ripe plum, and dark chocolate. Yet, on the finish, I thought there was some bitterness. Definitely a lot going on.
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12/2/2005 - GolferChris wrote: 90 Points
Lovely wine from Barossa Valley that delivers rich, ripe flavors of dark plum, currant and blackberry with a peppery and juicy finish.
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11/3/2005 - luko wrote:
and now for a different point of view......if you served me this wine blind I would have said $30 - $40 wine meriting a score that starts with a 9. Expressive nose of earth and pepper, followed by thick, black, fruity palate.... but with some refreshing acidity to balance it all out...and a 30 second plus finish. All that and $14.99! Wish i had ordered a case....
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10/30/2005 - E wrote: 78 Points
Gave this one the benefit of the doubt....drank it from the bottle, decanted it, tried it over several days....don't waste your time/money on this one
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10/11/2005 - Thilo wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple in color. Nose shows blackberry, plum, tar, and spice. On the palate, blackberry, creosote, and spice are framed by decent acidity and manageable tannins. As a bonus, it comes in a cool bottle considering it's about $15.
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9/10/2005 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Very dense purple glass staining color. This opened up relatively quick and drinks great out of the bottle. A great QPR everyday drinker.
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