Drank from Bin South 10. In cellar after Swedish auction 5/22/2011. $55.00. Cork failure broke apart. Cork nose. Dark purple with cork pieces even with screen. Sour cork presentation with bitter leather finish. Past prime with no fruit. 1/10.
Tried next day. A big change, light cherry nose. Soft even presentation with lovely cherry middle and chewy dry finish. Fabulous transformation. 8.5/10.
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Brought this to Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine @ Guoco Tower for a dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: Wines that start with E.
Brickish red in colour with mature notes of lacquer, cassis, dark plums, rich prunes and dried berries. The palate presented some dark chocolates, mocha and aged spices.
Drinking fantastically well at this stage with all the elements coming together and pulling in the same direction. Rounded, smooth, and warmed the cockles of my heart.
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After a few duds, this bottle is finally enjoyable and without flaws. Earthy, leathery and meaty plum with edamame-esque and ripe ripe granny smith mouthfeel and finish. On its last legs so drink up.
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Last of 6 bottles. Previous opened was 2012. Crazy to think how much longer this was kept. Has been in 14 degree wine fridge most of its life and it was fresh, primary, big, smoky, tobacco, leather. Quite fruity but still had lots of big structure and was totally not flat. Had no idea what to expect and now am surprised its been ~8 years since trying the last bottle. Cork was 100% perfect and looked totally new. Glad I waited until now but would be curious to see what another 5 years would have done.
I'm afraid this bottle was over the hill, for my taste anyway; no fruit, all mushroom and soil. Had the same vintage four years previous and it was one of the wines that started my addiction.
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Excellent condition. Deep red in colour. Big nose of candied dark berries, savoury spice, dry earth and leather. Palate is sublimely smooth, with a long, long finish of herbs, tobacco, espresso and spice. Delicious! Took about 2-3 hours to settle down after opening. Loads of sediment
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Previous bottle was cough syrupy a few years ago so wasn't too excited for this wine. It really came together. Decanted for a few hours, at first was very muted both on the nose and palate but opened up pretty quickly. At 30 min the alcohol was strong and a bit of spice in the finish but at an hour after opening it real integrated well, and had nice leather, jerky, thing going. Ended up really enjoying the wine. While it's probably no going to get better could still make it a few more years.
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A really fantastic aged wine. Clear rim with a dried prune, mineral infused nose. Well balanced although the tannin shave completely receded making it an elegant, smooth aged wine. Not sure if it is going to to age much longer, but drinking well at the moment.
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Old School Aussie Shiraz with age (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Ripe black fruit, biscuit, peppery spice, rich and dense black fruit, mocha quite youthful but the tannins are almost non-existent and there is a fair amount of alcohol heat. Okay.
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Concentrated blackberry & plum. Cream, vanilla, chocolate and sweet spice. A little sweet tobacco. It's a little flabby on the palate but it's very nice in an old school Aussie way.
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Big blackberry jam, dark chocolate, and a little vanilla and spice. Decanted for over an hour and it took another hour sipping before it smoothed out a bit.
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I find this wine to be confusing. Every taste seems to offer something different. It's not so much complex as schizophrenic. One minute it tastes dark and brooding, the next minute there are bright elements dancing across the tongue. One taste is dry, the next has a touch of caramel. There's chocolate, but also a hint of camphor. It's interesting, likely well made, but just can't make up it's mind about what kind of wine it wants to be.
Purchased on release, stored in cellar. Dark fruit with chocolate, very smooth almost buttery. Opened and let it decant for about a hour, Had 1/2 a glass while it decanted. You can taste the progress as this wine opens up.. was thin at first but after about a hour it became heavy and delicious ... IMHO.. can go another 3 to 5 years..
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Tasted the 1998 and 2000 together. The 1998 had the nose of a port wine with a strong alcohol note. After 1.5 hours in the decanter, it settled down some, but probably could have used several hours more air. Hold this for a while. The 2000 was much more approachable and nuanced. Also had the high alcohol note (even though they are both 14.5%) and is drinking nicely now.
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I did not care for previous bottles of this wine as I found them to be overdone, raw and disjointed. However, this wine has come together and now seems fully developed in both texture and flavors. Rich and ripe with nice balance and rounded edges. Deep flavors of dark fruits with some meat, leather and tar. 91+
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this is in a good place with elegant dark fruit and tannins nicely settled you can taste the age as well as the heart of this place once again,if all aussie wines tasted like this I would drink more of them
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Past its peak, except for people who like really mature wines. Dried fruit, leather, and just a little funk. Nicely balanced, with a fairly rich texture and a good finish.
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Dark purple with a hint of fading. Nose with lots of vanilla and blueberries with a hint of leather and. On the palate it is fruite dominant with berries and plums with a background of oak and leather. Tanins are prominent but not objectionable. I will give it more time before tasting another.
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8/10 - Hedonistic and gamey, this wine grabs your tongue and demands your attention. Lots of nice sea salt, which pushes the boundaries a little. Agree with the rest about the fruit being less present than one would expect but I find that more to be a positive than a negative. Good for drinking now.
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Nice nose especially in the beginning. The big fruit on the nose start to fade to be more dried fruit. Blackberry. Nice integrated oak. Nice oak finishing. Expected more from the fruit, initially was sweet fruit. After decanting it was more dried and bitter tasting. Dry finishing. Spicy notes still around. Overall nice aged shiraz.
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So I'm thinking...this over the top old fat boy's best days have probably come and gone, even with an initial 97 from WS...time to try and drink what's left. Was I wrong! Everything had come together into a generous offering of blueberry/spice on the nose followed by a rich mulberry/blackberry compote covered in milk chocolate mid palate that just coats the mouth and finishing with red/black berry jam. Yes it was "jammy" and Not for everyone but every now and then it's nice to indulge, especially since I'd anticipated far less, in spite of it's storage @ 55degrees since purchase. Very nice juice.
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Very nice mature shiraz with lots of secondary characteristics but likely on the downslope. Leather, juniper, some earthiness, dried fruit. Overall a little tired and stale on the palate and was missing some of the lucious fruit I was hoping for from the vintage. This was likely a restrained shiraz to begin with but I expeceted it to be showing better than it is at this point.
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Mint has faded since the review two years ago. Big fruit and "syrupy" mouth feel remain. Bittersweet chocolate in the bouquet and heaps of dark, sweet cherries in the finish. Not as balanced a wine as I was hoping for after nearly two more hers of cellaring. Initial professional reviews were too charitable.
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--- COLOR: Hazy garnet NOTE: Port nose of stewed cherries, eucalyptus, tobacco & oiled leather. Mouth is heavy, a bit ponderous, with kirsch, red currant, Italian cherry liqueur, amarena cherries. Finish is loads of Italian brandied cherries. Over the top for me.
DECANT: 1 hr GLASS USED: Syrah TASTE: 9.1 COST: 60 VALUE: 6.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: now PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Spicy nose, great legs and good backbone, but a little too much heat. Gobs of concentrated blueberry. Not an elegant or dainty wine, but rather the "in your face," high alcohol "fruit bomb" that modern Australian winemakers have embraced. This wine exemplifies one of the best of that variety. Not something you'd want to drink everyday, but for a festive occasion (here the Super Bowl), it was a great compliment to a hearty chili and beef tenderloin. Probably nearing its peak.
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VERY disappointing. Drank an 00 two years ago and it was amazing. I think there was a bottle issue, though it wasn't corked or off, it did lack fruit. I doubt it was too old, but perhaps it was?
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Interesting wine to me. Surprised me in terms of acidity and how 'thin' it was. I mean thin relatively and not negatively (in fact, liked the mouthfeel), as I was expecting a bigger, more syrupy type wine. Good nose, mint, herbs and blue fruits. Lots of fruit on the palate, but far from jammy, with hints of leather, cedar and herbs. I like it, but just seems to be a bit in a strange spot, a bit weak on mid-palate and finish...perhaps past its peak?
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Nose of licorice, ink, oak and vanilla Very smooth, with very strong vanilla, subdued plums and blueberries, toffee/coffee flavours are stronger. Unbalanced, unattractive.
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Still dark. Losing a bit of that vibrant purple, moving to a mature ripe fruit purple, if that is a color. Dark fruits on the nose. Alch, still a monster, but not as aggressive in it's youth. Big dusty Chocolate Velvet Carrie says. Agree. Blue fruit. Yum. Morton's Hong Kong New Years Eve., all 3 girls. Last of a 6 pack, drank over 6+ years. Great stuff, love to see this carry on over the next 6. Love the Command.
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Big nose of spices, herbs and mint (mint in the finish a well). "Syrupy" qualities mentioned by other reviews are very obvious and contribute to a lengthy finish. Definitely more complexity than many other highly rated Aussie shiraz offerings.
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Deep red with lots of purple when swirlled. Really minty and herbal at first then the slate and gravel, hot earth came through. Cassis and cherries and a hint of pepper after an hour or so. Sweet entry followed by a dry soft finish. The tannins were almost completely resolved.
I would say that this was at its peak. It should hold a few years, but I can't see it improving. Not the huge out of control Aussie Shiraz I expected. Rather Cornas like.
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Inky purple color with a huge nose of boysenberry and blueberry with some oak and heat. VERY syrupy on the palate with flavors that generally matched the nose, but also with some spice and tar. Has good acidity and soft tannins, but the syrupy body overwhelms the palate. Finish is medium long, but also leaves a bitter flavor in the mouth at the end. I would have preferred a lot more structure and a lot less bitterness. Based on all the other reviews, I assume I had an "off" bottle.
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3rd Annual Above Top Secret . Com Annual Dinner 2008 at the San Jose UFO Expo; 9/10/2009-9/13/2009: Another awesum selection during our 2 day event. Big and Bold is the easiest description I can think of. Hints spice on the nose with a palate of pepper and dark fruit. Still has a tannin bite to it. We left for dinner and left out two glasses for three hours. Upon our return, the wine had eveolved nicely. THe tannin bite had softened and the nose and palate had gotten more sublte and complex.
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Tied for my WOTN at a party. No mistaking what this was. Tons of blueberry and eucalyptus, with hints of chocolate. Complex, very well balanced, great finish. Drinking very well right now, and there's no reason to think it won't still be for another two or three years.
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I've had this several times over the last two years, and it is consistently excellent. Quite mature, smooth and civilized in a New World way. Great fruit - but not over the top.
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The crowd pleasing wine at our recent blind tasting with our New York group, this wine is an absolute fruit bomb that speaks to the New World bold style. Very powerful, almost sweet in the mouth, completely overwhelms the palate. Well integrated and delicious, with a rich dark chocolate mid-palate and a long jammy finish. This wine isn't really our style anymore, although we can see why it got such a big score from WS. This is a wine to share and will be enjoyed by all.
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Still a lovable big bloke. Almost black in the glass, heavy nose of dark fruits chocolate, tar, leather, cedar. All that carries on to the palate, like a liquid of all that in a blender.... yum. Plenty of life left.
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massive eucalyptus, sweet blueberry fruits, vanilla and some milk chocolate. Really in a good place right now. Massive core of well integrated fruit with firm tannin.
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Better than the last time I tried this a year ago -- well integrated and a little of the crazy fruit on the front end has dissipated (which is a good thing) revealing more complex, chocolate, oak and hazelnut flavors. Still a little too much sugary, sweet fruit flavor for me, but it is good.
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Have not tried one of these for quite some time. Smooth,smooth,smooth. Very little nose with a decent taste of chocolate, licorice, smoke and a hint of pepper. The mouthfeel on this wine is really silky.
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Great nose, smooth silk texture on the palate with loads of rich, ripe fruit and a port-like finish on the back end. Still -- I think the overripe fruit was a tad overbearing, and only after hour 3 did the complexity and rich tannins and chocolate/oak flavors of the finish come through. Maybe it needs time? There is clearly great stuff here, I am just not sure all the parts fit together yet.
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4/04 Intense full bodied layers complexity drinkable now - entering note late - chocolate finish is memorable - new level of excellence in shiraz. 95 pts. 6/07 It's evolving - the intense concentrated fruit attack has subsided and rounded leaving a chewy chocolate smoke burnt oak finish - awkward stage - off-balanced. Surpisingly, a salty note came thru. It's still very good but I'd give it another 3 years before cracking open the next bottle.12/07 Cracked open another bottle too soon - same notes - this time I'd lay these down 5 years.95 pts
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Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Fruit forward, strong finish. Extracted, dark coco fruit, big alch, strong tannins, 10+ years left. Long finish. Blackberry.
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A perfect wine at its apogee. A winner; opaque black crimson colour with black crimson hue. The nose is superb and will not disappoint. Perfumed notes of violets, confectionary, spice, cedar and vanilla followed by liquorice and very ripe plum. The palate is mouthfilling, with flavours of very ripe plum to the fore, meshed with black pepper, vanilla, dark chocolate and spice. Velvet smooth tannins followed by very long aftertaste of vanilla, dark chocolate and black pepper. This is an excellent example of a big, full bodied Barossa red. Nick's
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Another outstanding experience. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Nose is wonderful with overtones of red and black fruit. Big fruit on the palate. Finish is long and smooth. I think this wine still has a point or so with another year or two in the cellar. It is great right now in any case!
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Not a great showing for this wine tonight. Maybe in bad phase, very harsh structure of dense tobacco and raspberry, with an over oaked finish that did not reflect balance and maturity. Maybe this wine was not stored properly after reading such incredible responses from other experiences.
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This is nice stuff, and was singing right out of the bottle. Thirty minutes did help improve. A high pitched red fruit nose that just pours from the glass. Some spice and blueberry. A smoky, oaky and vanilla component in the mouth. Intense and long finish and a bit syrupy and viscous.. Wonderful balance and wonderful wine.
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There is no better Shiraz alive IMO. Just needs some more time. Quite tight for the first 45 minutes. Had it at Ruth's Chris and did not have enough time.
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Deep deep dark in colour, with a powerfull heady nose of choc & dark almost overripe fruit. Everything tells you right here you are entering a great expereince and you will fight for the last drop. Wet moist chocolote cake follows a fruit expolsion, holding the wine in your mouth you can feel the weight and texture and silky tannis which will allows this puppy to grow old enought to put the remaining ones in my will, provided Idon't drink them all. I only put a 95 due to the straight forward Shiraz nature and it is really too early to tell how good this will be.
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Chris Doran offline at UNION (Seattle, WA): A really nice nose with eucalyptus and spice-cake. Clearly some American oak at work here. The palate is spicy, aggressive and peppery. Huge oak spice and vanilla. Very long but somewhat bitter and overdone on the finish.
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This baby is mature although i believe there is still some improvement that you can hold out for. it will last for at least another 4 years. the nose is strong, sweet and brings vanilla and strawberry. the wine is thick and viscose which is a great pleasure. the finish is long with a good balance and depth and vanilla, berries. a gotta drink if you can get it.
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Dark purple/black colour. Inky. Aromas of tar, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, black plums, chocolate souffle. Full-bodied, massive wine. Port-like. Dark chocolate souffle, raspbery, tar, black fruit, and spice on the palate. Long finish, 50-55s, with spice and black fruit. Needs a lot of time.
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Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Incredible nose of vanilla and dark cherry. Powerful and smooth on the palate from front to back with chocolate and vanilla wrapped around a cheery liquor center with a light touch of spice. The layered affect of the flavors was incredible. Spice was a little more prominent after 1 - 2 hours decanting and held-up it’s nice long finish throughout the evening. Drink now after decanting, but will to continue to improve for 10 yrs plus.
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Dinner at home of chili. Deep, opaque ruby color. Nose is blueberry milkshake, macerated blackberries, and maybe spiked egg nog (?). Palate is juicy dark berries and lots of creamy, toasty notes from well-integrated oak. Satiny mouthfeel. Tastes big and juicy, yet also soft and mature -- heavily influenced by the juicy fruit bomb style, but somewhat more restrained and mature. Not quite the complexity I would hope for, but very enjoyable in a mainstream kind of way.
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8/13/2022 - chicsucre Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dates dates dates!! Dates and coffee, and a soft punch of savory!
Decanted 30mins cloves and bay leaves also become prominent
Amazing violet and blueberry
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8/14/2021 - Wrighty wrote:
Smokey, with lots of wood. Disappointed
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3/16/2021 - RDB Wine Does not like this wine: 50 Points
Drank from Bin South 10. In cellar after Swedish auction 5/22/2011. $55.00. Cork failure broke apart. Cork nose. Dark purple with cork pieces even with screen. Sour cork presentation with bitter leather finish. Past prime with no fruit. 1/10.
Tried next day. A big change, light cherry nose. Soft even presentation with lovely cherry middle and chewy dry finish. Fabulous transformation. 8.5/10.
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12/17/2020 - stayhappy21 wrote: 92 Points
Brought this to Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine @ Guoco Tower
for a dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: Wines that start with E.
Brickish red in colour with mature notes of lacquer, cassis, dark plums, rich prunes and dried berries. The palate presented some dark chocolates, mocha and aged spices.
Drinking fantastically well at this stage with all the elements coming together and pulling in the same direction. Rounded, smooth, and warmed the cockles of my heart.
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11/7/2020 - repomarket Likes this wine: 88 Points
After a few duds, this bottle is finally enjoyable and without flaws. Earthy, leathery and meaty plum with edamame-esque and ripe ripe granny smith mouthfeel and finish. On its last legs so drink up.
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5/20/2020 - yvr2zrh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last of 6 bottles. Previous opened was 2012. Crazy to think how much longer this was kept. Has been in 14 degree wine fridge most of its life and it was fresh, primary, big, smoky, tobacco, leather. Quite fruity but still had lots of big structure and was totally not flat. Had no idea what to expect and now am surprised its been ~8 years since trying the last bottle. Cork was 100% perfect and looked totally new. Glad I waited until now but would be curious to see what another 5 years would have done.
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3/28/2020 - jmh st louis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cassis, black jam. Hint of anise.
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11/21/2018 - FDR00 Likes this wine: 80 Points
Still plenty of fruit both on the palate and nose, solid body still drinking well now.
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9/25/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Everything you'd expect from a very good bottle of Command. Beautiful fruit, full bodied, sweet tannins, long finish. A true delight.
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7/11/2018 - BFS Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic big Barossa Shiraz drinking beautifully at this age with a couple of hour decant.
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11/1/2017 - thekeirsteads wrote: 86 Points
I'm afraid this bottle was over the hill, for my taste anyway; no fruit, all mushroom and soil. Had the same vintage four years previous and it was one of the wines that started my addiction.
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8/26/2017 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Cellar diminishment party - brief note. Terrific dark fruit and mint. Integrated. Long finish.
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8/26/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent condition. Deep red in colour. Big nose of candied dark berries, savoury spice, dry earth and leather. Palate is sublimely smooth, with a long, long finish of herbs, tobacco, espresso and spice. Delicious! Took about 2-3 hours to settle down after opening. Loads of sediment
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6/29/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
consistent
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6/1/2017 - ahgoodman Likes this wine:
Previous bottle was cough syrupy a few years ago so wasn't too excited for this wine. It really came together. Decanted for a few hours, at first was very muted both on the nose and palate but opened up pretty quickly. At 30 min the alcohol was strong and a bit of spice in the finish but at an hour after opening it real integrated well, and had nice leather, jerky, thing going. Ended up really enjoying the wine. While it's probably no going to get better could still make it a few more years.
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5/29/2017 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 94 Points
A really fantastic aged wine. Clear rim with a dried prune, mineral infused nose. Well balanced although the tannin shave completely receded making it an elegant, smooth aged wine. Not sure if it is going to to age much longer, but drinking well at the moment.
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5/10/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
so consistent
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2/4/2017 - chatters wrote:
Old School Aussie Shiraz with age (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Ripe black fruit, biscuit, peppery spice, rich and dense black fruit, mocha quite youthful but the tannins are almost non-existent and there is a fair amount of alcohol heat. Okay.
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7/8/2016 - ctjared Likes this wine:
consistent. life left here.
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5/21/2016 - chatters wrote:
Concentrated blackberry & plum. Cream, vanilla, chocolate and sweet spice. A little sweet tobacco. It's a little flabby on the palate but it's very nice in an old school Aussie way.
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5/2/2016 - Barry Raterink Does not like this wine: flawed
Corked - too bad - held onto it for 14 years. I have 2 left so we'll see down the road
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10/1/2015 - ctjared wrote:
Consistently excellent
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6/11/2015 - onealkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big blackberry jam, dark chocolate, and a little vanilla and spice. Decanted for over an hour and it took another hour sipping before it smoothed out a bit.
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3/23/2015 - Topper wrote: 90 Points
I find this wine to be confusing. Every taste seems to offer something different. It's not so much complex as schizophrenic. One minute it tastes dark and brooding, the next minute there are bright elements dancing across the tongue. One taste is dry, the next has a touch of caramel. There's chocolate, but also a hint of camphor. It's interesting, likely well made, but just can't make up it's mind about what kind of wine it wants to be.
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12/21/2014 - RNS2003 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased on release, stored in cellar. Dark fruit with chocolate, very smooth almost buttery. Opened and let it decant for about a hour, Had 1/2 a glass while it decanted. You can taste the progress as this wine opens up.. was thin at first but after about a hour it became heavy and delicious ... IMHO.. can go another 3 to 5 years..
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12/13/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very ripe, candied almost dark fruit nose. Delicious, long and jammy. Smooth, good balance. Needs time.
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11/29/2014 - John O' Likes this wine:
Tasted the 1998 and 2000 together. The 1998 had the nose of a port wine with a strong alcohol note. After 1.5 hours in the decanter, it settled down some, but probably could have used several hours more air. Hold this for a while. The 2000 was much more approachable and nuanced. Also had the high alcohol note (even though they are both 14.5%) and is drinking nicely now.
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9/26/2014 - PSUSteve wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. This was more jammy and ripe than previous bottles. I think this still has plenty of time left.
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6/22/2014 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
I did not care for previous bottles of this wine as I found them to be overdone, raw and disjointed. However, this wine has come together and now seems fully developed in both texture and flavors. Rich and ripe with nice balance and rounded edges. Deep flavors of dark fruits with some meat, leather and tar. 91+
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5/19/2014 - mgstull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as previous note but a bit richer. The richness didn't increase come with increased heat.
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5/18/2014 - PSUSteve wrote:
Pop and pour. Similar notes to November but the fruit was slightly deeper and richer.
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3/29/2014 - mgstull Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is calming down. Still creamy smoked meat and black fruits but the hot and overripe aspect is gone.
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3/1/2014 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
this is in a good place with elegant dark fruit and tannins nicely settled
you can taste the age as well as the heart of this place
once again,if all aussie wines tasted like this I would drink more of them
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1/18/2014 - kurishin wrote: 90 Points
Massive wine. notes of chocolate on the palate. Not sure this is really going to get any better. Acidity under control.
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11/29/2013 - PSUSteve wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. This wine starts with a layer of bright fruit that morphs into a layer of earth and fruit. An interesting mix of new and old world.
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11/23/2013 - mgstull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not as evolved as previous bottles. Smooth and almost creamy black fruit with a pronounced smoked meat note.
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11/9/2013 - Dan & Patti wrote: 97 Points
Wow
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9/22/2013 - mgstull Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mature red purple. Candied black and red fruit with a smoked beef note. Loaded with glycerin but not as much stuffing as might be expected.
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8/31/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
Past its peak, except for people who like really mature wines. Dried fruit, leather, and just a little funk. Nicely balanced, with a fairly rich texture and a good finish.
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6/1/2013 - shine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple with a hint of fading. Nose with lots of vanilla and blueberries with a hint of leather and. On the palate it is fruite dominant with berries and plums with a background of oak and leather. Tanins are prominent but not objectionable. I will give it more time before tasting another.
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4/26/2013 - Tasteofsunshine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Dark ruby color. Dark berry fruit, gamy on the nose. Mouth coating chocolatory juice! Drinking very well now.
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4/6/2013 - jinks wrote: flawed
Aussie night!!! (J&B Cellar): Tasted blind alongside three other great wines. My blind notes:
sadly, this was corked.
(WS 97)
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1/5/2013 - darren81 wrote: 91 Points
8/10 - Hedonistic and gamey, this wine grabs your tongue and demands your attention. Lots of nice sea salt, which pushes the boundaries a little. Agree with the rest about the fruit being less present than one would expect but I find that more to be a positive than a negative. Good for drinking now.
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9/22/2012 - Night Train wrote: flawed
Probably cooked. Green pepper, stewed tomatoes, yuck. Smelled and tasted thirty years old.
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7/23/2012 - Lousyfreak wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose especially in the beginning. The big fruit on the nose start to fade to be more dried fruit. Blackberry. Nice integrated oak. Nice oak finishing. Expected more from the fruit, initially was sweet fruit. After decanting it was more dried and bitter tasting. Dry finishing. Spicy notes still around. Overall nice aged shiraz.
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5/22/2012 - RMundell Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit is almost gone. Still decent but on the way down in my opinion.
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5/16/2012 - MoreWinePlease wrote: 95 Points
So I'm thinking...this over the top old fat boy's best days have probably come and gone, even with an initial 97 from WS...time to try and drink what's left. Was I wrong! Everything had come together into a generous offering of blueberry/spice on the nose followed by a rich mulberry/blackberry compote covered in milk chocolate mid palate that just coats the mouth and finishing with red/black berry jam. Yes it was "jammy" and Not for everyone but every now and then it's nice to indulge, especially since I'd anticipated far less, in spite of it's storage @ 55degrees since purchase. Very nice juice.
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1/22/2012 - clarktoews wrote: 93 Points
a hell of a wine. after 12 yrs of age this one still has a lot of power but was well integrated as well. very enjoyable. too bad it was my last bottle
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12/5/2011 - bmwcarl wrote:
Very nice mature shiraz with lots of secondary characteristics but likely on the downslope. Leather, juniper, some earthiness, dried fruit. Overall a little tired and stale on the palate and was missing some of the lucious fruit I was hoping for from the vintage. This was likely a restrained shiraz to begin with but I expeceted it to be showing better than it is at this point.
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11/1/2011 - cvvhrn wrote: 94 Points
Nice little Shiraz. Hints of dark berries and spice on the nose with a soft palate of green peppercorns, barely ripe plums and hoisin. Great finish.
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10/30/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Wonderful rich aromatics, but on the palate it's low in acidity and faded. Probably a knock out bottle about 4 years ago, but very average right now.
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6/10/2011 - bwaverley wrote: 92 Points
Mint has faded since the review two years ago. Big fruit and "syrupy" mouth feel remain. Bittersweet chocolate in the bouquet and heaps of dark, sweet cherries in the finish. Not as balanced a wine as I was hoping for after nearly two more hers of cellaring. Initial professional reviews were too charitable.
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5/1/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 91 Points
---
COLOR: Hazy garnet
NOTE: Port nose of stewed cherries, eucalyptus, tobacco & oiled leather. Mouth is heavy, a bit ponderous, with kirsch, red currant, Italian cherry liqueur, amarena cherries. Finish is loads of Italian brandied cherries. Over the top for me.
DECANT: 1 hr
GLASS USED: Syrah
TASTE: 9.1
COST: 60
VALUE: 6.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: now
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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2/7/2011 - RSTAR4 wrote: 94 Points
Spicy nose, great legs and good backbone, but a little too much heat. Gobs of concentrated blueberry. Not an elegant or dainty wine, but rather the "in your face," high alcohol "fruit bomb" that modern Australian winemakers have embraced. This wine exemplifies one of the best of that variety. Not something you'd want to drink everyday, but for a festive occasion (here the Super Bowl), it was a great compliment to a hearty chili and beef tenderloin. Probably nearing its peak.
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8/26/2010 - Laughs and Juice wrote: 85 Points
VERY disappointing. Drank an 00 two years ago and it was amazing. I think there was a bottle issue, though it wasn't corked or off, it did lack fruit. I doubt it was too old, but perhaps it was?
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7/18/2010 - ejung wrote: 96 Points
A great example of what a few years can do to a great shiraz
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7/8/2010 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Interesting wine to me. Surprised me in terms of acidity and how 'thin' it was. I mean thin relatively and not negatively (in fact, liked the mouthfeel), as I was expecting a bigger, more syrupy type wine. Good nose, mint, herbs and blue fruits. Lots of fruit on the palate, but far from jammy, with hints of leather, cedar and herbs. I like it, but just seems to be a bit in a strange spot, a bit weak on mid-palate and finish...perhaps past its peak?
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5/13/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 92 Points
Great fruit intensity, long aftertaste. One of the better 2000 Aussie wines I've had.
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4/14/2010 - Vini Ciclismo Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Nose of licorice, ink, oak and vanilla
Very smooth, with very strong vanilla, subdued plums and blueberries, toffee/coffee flavours are stronger. Unbalanced, unattractive.
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12/31/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
Still dark. Losing a bit of that vibrant purple, moving to a mature ripe fruit purple, if that is a color. Dark fruits on the nose. Alch, still a monster, but not as aggressive in it's youth. Big dusty Chocolate Velvet Carrie says. Agree. Blue fruit. Yum. Morton's Hong Kong New Years Eve., all 3 girls. Last of a 6 pack, drank over 6+ years. Great stuff, love to see this carry on over the next 6. Love the Command.
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11/7/2009 - bwaverley wrote: 93 Points
Big nose of spices, herbs and mint (mint in the finish a well). "Syrupy" qualities mentioned by other reviews are very obvious and contribute to a lengthy finish. Definitely more complexity than many other highly rated Aussie shiraz offerings.
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10/25/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red with lots of purple when swirlled. Really minty and herbal at first then the slate and gravel, hot earth came through. Cassis and cherries and a hint of pepper after an hour or so. Sweet entry followed by a dry soft finish. The tannins were almost completely resolved.
I would say that this was at its peak. It should hold a few years, but I can't see it improving. Not the huge out of control Aussie Shiraz I expected. Rather Cornas like.
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10/20/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Pop and pour. Medicinal with a kiddie candy quality. Not enjoyable.
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10/20/2009 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Aussie Shiraz at Zoe: Peppermint nose; Syrupy texture; A bit dark; Opens up nicely; Chinese spice
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10/3/2009 - rickspicks wrote:
Inky purple color with a huge nose of boysenberry and blueberry with some oak and heat. VERY syrupy on the palate with flavors that generally matched the nose, but also with some spice and tar. Has good acidity and soft tannins, but the syrupy body overwhelms the palate. Finish is medium long, but also leaves a bitter flavor in the mouth at the end. I would have preferred a lot more structure and a lot less bitterness. Based on all the other reviews, I assume I had an "off" bottle.
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9/13/2009 - cvvhrn wrote: 93 Points
3rd Annual Above Top Secret . Com Annual Dinner 2008 at the San Jose UFO Expo; 9/10/2009-9/13/2009: Another awesum selection during our 2 day event. Big and Bold is the easiest description I can think of. Hints spice on the nose with a palate of pepper and dark fruit. Still has a tannin bite to it. We left for dinner and left out two glasses for three hours. Upon our return, the wine had eveolved nicely. THe tannin bite had softened and the nose and palate had gotten more sublte and complex.
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9/6/2009 - Night Train wrote: 92 Points
Tied for my WOTN at a party. No mistaking what this was. Tons of blueberry and eucalyptus, with hints of chocolate. Complex, very well balanced, great finish. Drinking very well right now, and there's no reason to think it won't still be for another two or three years.
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9/5/2009 - gregsp wrote: 95 Points
I've had this several times over the last two years, and it is consistently excellent. Quite mature, smooth and civilized in a New World way. Great fruit - but not over the top.
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8/22/2009 - monkeylug wrote: 94 Points
The crowd pleasing wine at our recent blind tasting with our New York group, this wine is an absolute fruit bomb that speaks to the New World bold style. Very powerful, almost sweet in the mouth, completely overwhelms the palate. Well integrated and delicious, with a rich dark chocolate mid-palate and a long jammy finish. This wine isn't really our style anymore, although we can see why it got such a big score from WS. This is a wine to share and will be enjoyed by all.
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3/28/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
Still a lovable big bloke. Almost black in the glass, heavy nose of dark fruits chocolate, tar, leather, cedar. All that carries on to the palate, like a liquid of all that in a blender.... yum. Plenty of life left.
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2/15/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 87 Points
a lot different from my last bottle, this was a lot more tired and really did not have the great structure and texture of other Commands.
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1/10/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 92 Points
massive eucalyptus, sweet blueberry fruits, vanilla and some milk chocolate. Really in a good place right now. Massive core of well integrated fruit with firm tannin.
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1/9/2009 - psmith wrote:
Dark fruits and mint notes. Nice restraint shown, but by no means lacking in intensity or weight. Fine tannins. In a very nice place.
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1/3/2009 - Cobbster wrote: 93 Points
Black cherry nose. On the palate black cherry and a touch of tar lead to a medium finish.
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10/25/2008 - dionysis wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last time I tried this a year ago -- well integrated and a little of the crazy fruit on the front end has dissipated (which is a good thing) revealing more complex, chocolate, oak and hazelnut flavors. Still a little too much sugary, sweet fruit flavor for me, but it is good.
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8/23/2008 - gregsp wrote: 94 Points
Mature and ready to drink. A smooth, full bodied experience, with a great nose heavy with smoky chocolate.
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3/1/2008 - orcharddude22 wrote: 91 Points
Have not tried one of these for quite some time. Smooth,smooth,smooth. Very little nose with a decent taste of chocolate, licorice, smoke and a hint of pepper. The mouthfeel on this wine is really silky.
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12/20/2007 - dionysis wrote: 91 Points
Great nose, smooth silk texture on the palate with loads of rich, ripe fruit and a port-like finish on the back end. Still -- I think the overripe fruit was a tad overbearing, and only after hour 3 did the complexity and rich tannins and chocolate/oak flavors of the finish come through. Maybe it needs time? There is clearly great stuff here, I am just not sure all the parts fit together yet.
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12/7/2007 - GA wrote: 95 Points
4/04 Intense full bodied layers complexity drinkable now - entering note late - chocolate finish is memorable - new level of excellence in shiraz. 95 pts. 6/07 It's evolving - the intense concentrated fruit attack has subsided and rounded leaving a chewy chocolate smoke burnt oak finish - awkward stage - off-balanced. Surpisingly, a salty note came thru. It's still very good but I'd give it another 3 years before cracking open the next bottle.12/07 Cracked open another bottle too soon - same notes - this time I'd lay these down 5 years.95 pts
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11/24/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 89 Points
Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Fruit forward, strong finish. Extracted, dark coco fruit, big alch, strong tannins, 10+ years left. Long finish. Blackberry.
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9/21/2007 - cmr wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding wine. Mouth coating and powerful as Barossa Shiraz should be, deep rich black fruits with a finish that lasts a nice long time.
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9/8/2007 - michelvl wrote: 95 Points
A perfect wine at its apogee. A winner; opaque black crimson colour with black crimson hue. The nose is superb and will not disappoint. Perfumed notes of violets, confectionary, spice, cedar and vanilla followed by liquorice and very ripe plum. The palate is mouthfilling, with flavours of very ripe plum to the fore, meshed with black pepper, vanilla, dark chocolate and spice. Velvet smooth tannins followed by very long aftertaste of vanilla, dark chocolate and black pepper. This is an excellent example of a big, full bodied Barossa red. Nick's
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4/29/2007 - michelvl wrote: 94 Points
Consistent quality, see other notes
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4/2/2007 - Vette Z06 wrote: 94 Points
Another outstanding experience. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Nose is wonderful with overtones of red and black fruit. Big fruit on the palate. Finish is long and smooth. I think this wine still has a point or so with another year or two in the cellar. It is great right now in any case!
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1/16/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 88 Points
Not a great showing for this wine tonight. Maybe in bad phase, very harsh structure of dense tobacco and raspberry, with an over oaked finish that did not reflect balance and maturity. Maybe this wine was not stored properly after reading such incredible responses from other experiences.
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12/25/2006 - Mahan wrote: 96 Points
Big bold wine. Opened up after about 45 minutes. Dark coloring, hint of smoke. Very smooth, with a nice finish. Tasty.
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12/9/2006 - Mark wrote: 94 Points
This is nice stuff, and was singing right out of the bottle. Thirty minutes did help improve. A high pitched red fruit nose that just pours from the glass. Some spice and blueberry. A smoky, oaky and vanilla component in the mouth. Intense and long finish and a bit syrupy and viscous.. Wonderful balance and wonderful wine.
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12/3/2006 - 58degrees wrote: 94 Points
There is no better Shiraz alive IMO. Just needs some more time. Quite tight for the first 45 minutes. Had it at Ruth's Chris and did not have enough time.
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10/27/2006 - tplskylrk wrote: 95 Points
Deep deep dark in colour, with a powerfull heady nose of choc & dark almost overripe fruit. Everything tells you right here you are entering a great expereince and you will fight for the last drop. Wet moist chocolote cake follows a fruit expolsion, holding the wine in your mouth you can feel the weight and texture and silky tannis which will allows this puppy to grow old enought to put the remaining ones in my will, provided Idon't drink them all. I only put a 95 due to the straight forward Shiraz nature and it is really too early to tell how good this will be.
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9/17/2006 - jsw wrote: 94 Points
massive, deep and really sad to see the end of th ebottle
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8/21/2006 - Eric wrote:
Chris Doran offline at UNION (Seattle, WA): A really nice nose with eucalyptus and spice-cake. Clearly some American oak at work here. The palate is spicy, aggressive and peppery. Huge oak spice and vanilla. Very long but somewhat bitter and overdone on the finish.
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1/14/2006 - michelvl wrote: 94 Points
This baby is mature although i believe there is still some improvement that you can hold out for. it will last for at least another 4 years. the nose is strong, sweet and brings vanilla and strawberry. the wine is thick and viscose which is a great pleasure. the finish is long with a good balance and depth and vanilla, berries. a gotta drink if you can get it.
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5/20/2005 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Quite good with great concentration. Not a fruit bomb and could probably age for years. The oak was fairly strong but well-integrated into the wine.
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1/26/2005 - futronic wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple/black colour. Inky. Aromas of tar, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, black plums, chocolate souffle. Full-bodied, massive wine. Port-like. Dark chocolate souffle, raspbery, tar, black fruit, and spice on the palate. Long finish, 50-55s, with spice and black fruit. Needs a lot of time.
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1/5/2005 - GreenDrazi wrote: 96 Points
Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Incredible nose of vanilla and dark cherry. Powerful and smooth on the palate from front to back with chocolate and vanilla wrapped around a cheery liquor center with a light touch of spice. The layered affect of the flavors was incredible. Spice was a little more prominent after 1 - 2 hours decanting and held-up it’s nice long finish throughout the evening. Drink now after decanting, but will to continue to improve for 10 yrs plus.
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11/17/2004 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at home of chili. Deep, opaque ruby color. Nose is blueberry milkshake, macerated blackberries, and maybe spiked egg nog (?). Palate is juicy dark berries and lots of creamy, toasty notes from well-integrated oak. Satiny mouthfeel. Tastes big and juicy, yet also soft and mature -- heavily influenced by the juicy fruit bomb style, but somewhat more restrained and mature. Not quite the complexity I would hope for, but very enjoyable in a mainstream kind of way.
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