Big bold classic shiraz, rich, tarring & fruity. High medium bodied wine, & drinking well now at 21 year old. It is rather complex, with aroma of cocoa, tobacco, prune, spicy chillies, cinnamon, black currant, dried leaves, medicinal taste, soft minerals & sense numbing, high alcoholic strides. Awesome finish with a lovely dose of acid.
Needs a bit of decanting & kind patience.
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Fantastic. Lovely savoury spice on the nose. Coupled with blue and dark berries. The palate is velvety and exceeding smooth. Very long finish of savoury spicy.
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Outstanding! This wide has structure, body, and finesse. From the pleasant nose right down through the finish this is a just a lucious delicate wine for a big shiraz. It is smooth like a beautiful Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate with just a touch of berry jam on the finish!
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Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, big dense concentrated rich tongue coating ripe fruits of blueberry, black raspberry and currant, accented by cedar, spicy oak and hints of licorice on the full tannin finish. The ripe fruit is so forward and rich that it comes across with a slight offset of an mineral tone with an almost metallic edge.
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The 2003 Barossa Old Vine Shiraz is medium purple in colour. Quite close upon first pour with simple peppers and alcohol on the nose. Decanted for about 2 hours. Peppery spice on the frontal nose with distinct mint and pressed dark berries. There's a slightly noticeable steeliness on the nose as well. On the palate, a pretty heavy wine with dark berries and mint. The alcohol is acceptably prominent upon the entry to early-mid palate but not overly warm. Superb plumminess, gives the wine its own character for sure. Rich tannin structure. Allowing the wine to sit in the glass for a while opens one to new caramel and butterscotch flavours in addition to its berries. Nonetheless, the finish is quick to remind one of its bold alcohol (14.5%) packed in one final punch.
Once's fine, not a style I crave for a revisit.
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Nose with nice dark fruits but somewhat overwhelmed by oaky vanilla and chocolate. Palate is direct and matches nose, a little leather happening, nice silky mouthfeel, voluptuous but a bit fat and flabby and upfront with little going on mid-palate. Somewhat disappointing lack of depth, finish. Didn't open up after 3 hours in decanter, doubt there is more there. Not my style but a tasty wine - can't see it pairing with much on the table- but still a 88-90.
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This wine is stylish. Medium body with balanced acidity boasting cherry, cranberry, caramel, scorched oak, a hint of blueberry and red apple. Theres a dried hikers lunchbox type apricot/ peach/plumb thing going on here with an almost overshadowing roast component. The finish lingers with a drying acidity. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It did take some time to open up though.
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On the big and rich side of the aisle but clearly well made. Generous with blackberry and dark fruit, and layered with spice, butterscotch and oak notes. Not decanted but improved by manual aeration.
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San Antonio Wine Geeks (sorry Dave) (Barbaresco): Port-like nose of plum, currants and vanilla. Some distracting heat on the palate, good acidity and balanced, though comes across of slightly thin on the mid-palate. Strong oaky finish. Good.
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Young, but approachable with a 4 hour double decant. Well balanced dark berries and chocolate, with menthol and earth on the back. Long, with old vine concentration of sweet fruit, though never syrupy or cloying in the least. Has the acidity and tannic structure to evolve. I'll wait 2-3 years for the next bottle. 92+
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This wine was ruby-red/purple in color with dark color intensity. The aromatic intensity was strong, while being well balanced and medium bodied. This was a lovely wine sample.
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2/20/2024 - Gemofwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big bold classic shiraz, rich, tarring & fruity. High medium bodied wine, & drinking well now at 21 year old.
It is rather complex, with aroma of cocoa, tobacco, prune, spicy chillies, cinnamon, black currant, dried leaves, medicinal taste, soft minerals & sense numbing, high alcoholic strides.
Awesome finish with a lovely dose of acid.
Needs a bit of decanting & kind patience.
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8/12/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic. Lovely savoury spice on the nose. Coupled with blue and dark berries. The palate is velvety and exceeding smooth. Very long finish of savoury spicy.
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10/30/2014 - BWebb wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding! This wide has structure, body, and finesse. From the pleasant nose right down through the finish this is a just a lucious delicate wine for a big shiraz. It is smooth like a beautiful Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate with just a touch of berry jam on the finish!
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9/14/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 86 Points
Bought at release. Great fruit quality but clearly too jammy for my preferences.
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9/5/2014 - rmcnees wrote: 93 Points
Dark inky purple colored, full bodied, big dense concentrated rich tongue coating ripe fruits of blueberry, black raspberry and currant, accented by cedar, spicy oak and hints of licorice on the full tannin finish. The ripe fruit is so forward and rich that it comes across with a slight offset of an mineral tone with an almost metallic edge.
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7/30/2013 - millerarner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well done
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6/1/2013 - Average Wine Guy (MH) wrote: 86 Points
The 2003 Barossa Old Vine Shiraz is medium purple in colour. Quite close upon first pour with simple peppers and alcohol on the nose. Decanted for about 2 hours. Peppery spice on the frontal nose with distinct mint and pressed dark berries. There's a slightly noticeable steeliness on the nose as well. On the palate, a pretty heavy wine with dark berries and mint. The alcohol is acceptably prominent upon the entry to early-mid palate but not overly warm. Superb plumminess, gives the wine its own character for sure. Rich tannin structure. Allowing the wine to sit in the glass for a while opens one to new caramel and butterscotch flavours in addition to its berries. Nonetheless, the finish is quick to remind one of its bold alcohol (14.5%) packed in one final punch.
Once's fine, not a style I crave for a revisit.
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11/20/2011 - Cleve Miller wrote: 89 Points
Nose with nice dark fruits but somewhat overwhelmed by oaky vanilla and chocolate. Palate is direct and matches nose, a little leather happening, nice silky mouthfeel, voluptuous but a bit fat and flabby and upfront with little going on mid-palate. Somewhat disappointing lack of depth, finish. Didn't open up after 3 hours in decanter, doubt there is more there. Not my style but a tasty wine - can't see it pairing with much on the table- but still a 88-90.
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8/26/2010 - GreatLibations wrote: 92 Points
This wine is stylish. Medium body with balanced acidity boasting cherry, cranberry, caramel, scorched oak, a hint of blueberry and red apple. Theres a dried hikers lunchbox type apricot/ peach/plumb thing going on here with an almost overshadowing roast component. The finish lingers with a drying acidity. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It did take some time to open up though.
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5/22/2010 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
On the big and rich side of the aisle but clearly well made. Generous with blackberry and dark fruit, and layered with spice, butterscotch and oak notes. Not decanted but improved by manual aeration.
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4/16/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks (sorry Dave) (Barbaresco): Port-like nose of plum, currants and vanilla. Some distracting heat on the palate, good acidity and balanced, though comes across of slightly thin on the mid-palate. Strong oaky finish. Good.
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7/7/2007 - danibus wrote: 92 Points
Young, but approachable with a 4 hour double decant. Well balanced dark berries and chocolate, with menthol and earth on the back. Long, with old vine concentration of sweet fruit, though never syrupy or cloying in the least. Has the acidity and tannic structure to evolve. I'll wait 2-3 years for the next bottle. 92+
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11/2/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Exeptiional Shiraz. Still young and took an hour to open up - Deep fruit, chocolate, florals and sweet minerality. Promises great things to come.
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10/5/2006 - hiltondg wrote: 90 Points
Pretty ordinary Shiraz. I'm not a huge fan.
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4/4/2005 - Tom_B wrote: 96 Points
This wine was ruby-red/purple in color with dark color intensity. The aromatic intensity was strong, while being well balanced and medium bodied. This was a lovely wine sample.
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