Gifted this by good friends....it is a unique wine for sure. I've not had much experience with aged Shiraz from Barossa. Screw cap removed and poured with immediate bricking noted, not just the rim but the whole glass. Aged, oxidized scents of prune/raisin, black dirt from the garden and maybe a little smoke? There's some gentle black pepper and spicebox, maybe Asian spices? Light to mid weight in the mouth, whatever tannins this had are well integrated. It's different for sure and enjoyable but not enough for me to chase this one down for more purchasing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple color with faint brown rim. Vague plum bouquet and flavor at the start, changing to meaty notes with airing. Unbalanced with alcohol and tannins very much in evidence. Quite similar to first bottle. No more remaining.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor that reminded me of dilute soy sauce. Not well balanced, with alcohol and tannins showing up in the ending. Not unpleasant, but nothing memorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnD let air for 1hr. Part of a 2005 through 2008 vertical. Pleasantly suprised at the elegance and balance that accompanied the plummy fruit. Not going to turn me back to Aussie Shiraz but work with BBQ ribs. WOTN for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark, almost black color, red-brown rim, not clear, almost muddy, probably a bit too old now… The nose opens with lots of black, dark and cooked fruits, cherries, plums and others. After an hour in a glass – became very gamy, full of peppers and spices – very similar to good Hermitage. The palate is great – lots of everything: fruits, alcohol, tasty tannins and in great harmony. Long, long aftertaste; if you have one - drink it now and enjoy!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Loads of red and purple fruit. A little too much bite upon PnP, but after about 30 minutes in the glass it really softened and was a pleasure to drink. Well integrated tannins. Even my wife (white wine drinker) liked this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting Syrah Blind in the Sunroom (It's for charity, after all): Slightly grapey but mostly blackberry jam with some grape jam. Then there is alcohol heat followed by a little raspberry jam. The acidity on the finish is unpleasant although it does make it easier to swallow the jam. No more for me thank you.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No where near the pleasures of the 2004. And by the second night was thoroughly underwhelming with an annoying raisiny flavor. Perhaps the other 2 bottles I have will turn out better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
More than two years since my last bottle of this. Mostly smoke on the nose. Tart black cherries on the palate, along with a little smoke. BIG fruit, but not jammy. Medium body and a better-than-average finish. Tannins have subsided, but the tartness of the fruit makes it very food-friendly. Probably still has a useful life expectancy of another couple years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
soft nose of mature dark fruits. On the palate, silky, rich texture. Flavors of mature fruit, earthy, spicy. Very nicely done although the 04 was still a better wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my last bottle of 6 and honestly I do not feel it has ever delivered to its fullest potential. I continue to enjoy the 2004 which is well above this which is somewhat surprising given how great the 2005 vintage was for Barossa. Nonetheless, the wine has a wonderful deep burgundy color and offers up a lovely bouquet filled with roasted meat, sage, and marzipan. The wine has a very nice mouthfeel but it just fails to deliver the kind of complexity one would expect for a 93 rated wine by Wine Spectator as well as the lacklustre finish. Black cherry and blueberry proudly display themselves as well as licorice but sadly the tannins are very faint at best before giving away to a finish which is just not there. After the scandal at Schild I have refused to buy any more because I feel I can't trust the winery. I think they deliver good value but there are countless other syrahs and shiraz out there which offer ample choice at a comparable price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP and it smelled like scotch. You could really taste the alcohal, but in a way that worked for me this time as it is more integrated than it has been in the past. 2nd and 3rd glass each improved into a nice robust fruity shiraz. Would recommend decanting in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red in colour, there is cherry and strawberry on the nose with a character that is best described as raw cane sugar.
The Palate has light red fruits on entry with initially soft tannins that have a bitter savoury twist on the finish, the wine is disjointed and not your typical Barossa Shiraz. Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2012-2014)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Delicious and full of flavor. Spicy and jammy. A wonderful bottle. After about 45 minutes an aroma much like burgundy or earthy pinot noir took over the nose. Did not change the taste but was an interesting aroma change over the time of drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not that into Aussie Shiraz anymore but I love Schild. "Lite in texture"? Are you kidding? This is a huge red bursting with black licorice and dark fruit notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screw cap, no aeration, served at cellar temp. Blueberry, charcoal, fine herbs and a touch of spice follow from the nose to the palate. Lavender and detergent follow along by the second glass. Low-medium acidity, medium- finish, average complexity. A touch of heat forces its hand toward the unbalanced side of the equation. Would buy again at $15 or less. Did not show as well as the previous bottle, 18 months ago. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2014, score: B/B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with previous bottle. This one seemed to exhibit a little more chocolate along with the blueberries and pepper. Very rich, with a rich, fairly long finish. Drinking very well right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I must have been doing a disservice decanting this on previous tastes. Right out of the bottle (screwcap) and still chilled this "smells" far more interesting than I recall in past encounters. It has loads of smoke and sweet bbq, like braised short-ribs in some tasty sauce; blackened, fire-toasted marshmallow comes through; perhaps also some sweetened huckleberry with toasted nut and gram cracker pie crust; warming open, more traditional "bomb" fruits with blueberry, blackberry, and black raspberry. Without even tempting a sip over the past 40-minutes (while preparing dinner), it's curious to see how the wine's bouquet has diminished to around half intensity. I now see this is to be expected based on my previous experiences with decanting this wine. On to the palate. It's fairly obvious to me that this bottle is drinking at it's peak right now -- tannins fully integrated and barely detectable in any form; mouthfeel pliant and expansive like water; charred berry flavors integrated, any bumps or outliers fully smoothed over; and oak as backseat as it's every going to get, though it still manages to pop forward into the driver capsule from time to time, especially in the finish. Medium plus length. As good as this may be drinking now, per its self-set bar (and class), it still manages to bore me a bit and even becomes somewhat cloying taken in too quickly. (And I was/am actually in the mood for a fruity Shiraz tonight.) The overblown charred/toasted quality of the flavors grinds on me; a bit of heat showing on the back throat. Here we have the destination for wines created over-ripe/reduced/oaked, even one as promising and relatively balanced as this. Interesting, a second pour straight from the cool, capped bottle shows more delicious fruit (some pine resin) and that big, big nose. Some kind of beverage that peters out after a half-hour open I guess, but it's not hard to imagine how it was this earned 93-pts. from the pros.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1 hour decant. Great nose of smoke, salt and roasted berries. Black plum, blackberry, cream and smokey oak on the palate. Soft, integrated tannins. Short/Medium length. Still. Great QPR, but I see no reason to wait on opening these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I wanted to see if this was anything like the 2008 we've be drinking. Yes it is. Still big on the nose an palate, smokey pepper with a little cedar on the nose. Big dark fruit on the palate. Enjyed it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started with a case of this a few years ago, 3 left throughout the years. Really enjoyed it last year but seems to have fallen off a bit. Nose started off with a nice smoky pepper that seems to have faded after an hour decant. A little bland in the mouth from what I remember from previous years. Still a decent QPR if you bought it before the top 100 status was revealed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Nice, dark color. Berries and a little wood on the nose. Mostly blueberries on the palate, with a little vanilla and a hint of pepper. Pleasant, almost luxurious mouthfeel and a decent finish. No "wow" factor, but a well-balanced, well-made wine. A terrific value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's very prominent on the nose with peppery scents along pronounced oak and vanilla. On the palate, this is balanced, supple with more pepper and vanilla. It also has very nice acidity and gentle tannins. This is very good! Recommended!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - Popped and poured, initial taste was sweet/tangy with a fair amount of tannins. Over the next several hours it integrated quite nicely into a very enjoyable wine. Nothing too complex, but it paired well with a gourmet burger with a sweet dressing/relish.
And from the tasting note assistant:
The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Fast. It smells like Cherry, Oak, Tobacco, and Alcohol/Hot. It tastes like Black Pepper, Coffee, Chocolate, and Alcohol/Hot. The body is Medium. The wine is textured Round. The wine finishes Short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted about 90 minutes. A big monster. Lots of dark fruit on the mid palate that finishes with a big chocolate note. Agree with other tasting notes that this is lacking some complexity, although it paired nicely with leftover baby back ribs. Not sure I'd buy again. Paid $17.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprisingly disappointing. Great color and nose, but doesn't have a great finish and has hard to identify flavors. Not a top 20 wine as Wine Spectator says it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red colour. Aroma of berry, plum, lots of peppery spice with hints of oak. Medium bodied, with plum, mocha and peppery spice on palate. Medium long savoury finish with soft tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lands on the palate with a clumsy thud. After a few bottles of this wine I can safely say I don't like it and won't buy it again. Ever. Probably one of the worst Wine Spectator recommendations I've ever acted upon. The wine is clean and perhaps well-made. I just don't like the style. Not because it's jammy, bright, or a fruit-bomb: It's not. But because it's not very vibrant and has dull quirky flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Fairly solid wine, with a definite ripeness, but enough acid to keep it honest. Slight green notes added interest. Round tannins, could have used more. As it warmed, it became a little cloying and got some oddly over the hill fruit notes. Not bad, but nothing brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last of 5 bottles and a really good value. 5 years in the bottle was ideal. Easy on the fruit with spice and rounded tannins. Short-medium finish with nice color. Excellent wine and really versatile with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Lots of freshness and gushing acidity alongside layers of berries and spice. A delicious bottle that has many solid years ahead of it. Very nicely balanced and the right amount of complexity for $20. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice, medium weight, balanced, juice bomb with an Australian accent. Drinking very well now. Pulled this out of the cellar after an exhausting day of moving. After finishing the bottle in my new jacuzzi tub, my back finally stopped aching.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured with grilled tenderloin tips. Beautiful red color, lighter than I expected. The nose was full of sour cherries and I could sense a bit of heat. On the palate, loads of cherries and spice (licorice?), with a little heat. I dug the fruit/spice combo, but for some reason don't necessarily view this wine as complex. I also got a little sense that this wine was "manufactured". A fine wine at a decent price, but nowhere near the top 20 of 2007 from WS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Here is a wine that can be enjoyed by most with medium to heavy meals. The nose suggests a medium weight shiraz, but the flavor and mouthfeel are packed with heft and adequate body. While definitely not what many Aussie shiraz fruit bombs are comprised of, this wine exhibits some nice balance between the alcohol and underlying fruit flavors. A brooding taste of wine but full and complete. I think you'll enjoy for the price as well as the fact that it is screw capped, thus allowing a perfect bottle every time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spices and fruit embraced by velvety vanilla. A balanced wonderful Shiraz which bears no resemblance to Australian alcohol-eucalyptus-monster-wines made of the same grape variety.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bouquet of ripe red berries, licorice and spice makes way for a palate impression of rich plummy fruits, with tannins that are soft yet abundant, and showing a hint of vanillin oak on lingering finish. Has complexity, depth and excellent detail.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not quite as complex as the bottle described in my 5/08 note, but that's not saying much. Showing lots of blackberry fruit, cocoa and anise spices on the nose, blueberry and black cherry joins blackberry in the mouth, with interesting charred herbal notes. Outstanding wine and great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite enjoyable, if relatively simple. Great, fresh, ripe fruit. Concentrated, but thankfully shy of jammy. Blackberry, raspberry, plum, strawberry chocolate, licorice, bell pepper, a bit of vanilla cream. Wood is there, but well-integrated. Air reveals secondary notes of cinnamon, olive paste, along with a faint floral element. Well balanced, with decent restraint, given the high alcohol content. Moderate acidity. Pretty low tannins at this stage. Shortish finish. Excellent with braised short ribs. I'd say this is in its peak drinking window right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big wine, lots of tannins at first, but mellowed very quickly (~30 mins). Spicy, with a tad of fruit. Good long finish. Good example of an Australian Shiraz, but with a slightly higher alcohol content (so it felt) and less fruit forward (which again I liked).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kinda coming into its own. Nice and easy drinking, but doesn't distinguish itself from other Aussie shiraz. Has the profile of quality shiraz in the $15-$25 category. Solid, just not rememberable with so many great aussie values in this vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better bottle than my first bottle. Loads of fruit, creamy, and really enjoyable. Love this stuff... especially at such an amazing price. Excellent QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
90-min decant in med-base @68F. No evidence of age in the hearts-card red Aussie core. Prune and American oak (not saying that's what was used) are most evident on the nose; else wise liquorish and a slice of dried deciduous wood bark; overall, a bit heady and port-like. "Juicy, dark, stewed fruits" best describe the flavor profile on the palate. If there were any pure fruit here, it would be cherries (mixed with black liquorish); bit of small-wrapped mocha candies towards the back. This is quite full-bodied up front and in the middle and has a respectable elegance to its mouthfeel. ...turns to bitter cherry and tar in the later innings of the finish. Overall, this is a tad boring, and for my money I'd prefer something with more purity of fruit and perhaps more of the earth, game and complexity that I know this variety can produce. Typical for the region and a fine specimen as compared to its regional peers. If you like Australian Shiraz, then you couldn't do too far better than with this '05 Schild.
Quick note: this was much more agreeable to my palate on day2 after a night in the fridge (just screw-capped) - less oak, more fruit/flavor integration and complexity (a salty "caramelization" factor); it was better on day3 as well but had gone a little stale and didn't match the day2 performance, which was around 89+ pts. for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Real nice. It was paired with a 2006 Amon ra which was ausome. This has improved considerable since my last schilds. I have another and It will be tempting to have it soon. I always like shilds as a good QPR, but this has developed better then I had hoped when I decided to let my remaining two get a little more age on them. If you have them enjoy them.
Enjoy!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
beautiful wine. let me just say that. However, it is too acidic - I actually could not drink for than a couple of glasses because of mouth fatigue. acidid and highly extracted. It is a bombastic glass of wine but only one glass. Would have been a 96 if it had more balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is how good a Shiraz can be. Too often the Aussies come out with both barrels blazing, ending in a wine with all heat, and no character. This wine was a perfect balance between Aussie strength and a an enjoyable Shiraz. The Velvet Hammer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Dark fruit everywhere, some oak, some pepper, and an unctuous, rich mouthfeel. I've been down on Aussie Shiraz for awhile, but I think this is a darn good bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nicer experience than last time, but I kept the rating the same. It is not as big a Shiraz as other Barossa's, but makes up for it in layered complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Awesome. I loved this. I didn't pick up much on the nose but the palate was a cornicopia of dark fruits including blueberreis and blackberries. I got some balanced oak on this. It was big and sweet, but not like the Boxer. This was very tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very rich experience. Fills your mouth with generous fruit, which overshadows spices and alcohol. Very well made and balanced. Some wine experts may differ, but I like this wine with dark chocolate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Displays all the hallmarks of a typical Shiraz...big bold fruit and a spicy finish....but a little too over the top for my tastes. Someone below mentions fruit liquor and that seems about right to me. I've found the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge wines to be more to my liking when I'm hankering for Shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cracked and poured; dark red-violet color; as nose opens, I get hints of blueberry and a heavy handed touch of blackberry. Great balance and a comfortable mouthfeel on this one; there's a bitterness in this wine that gives off a quality of a fruit liquor; very silky tannins on the finish; acidity in just the right balance here; the most obvious note on this finish calls to mind the briary flavors in the residue of blackberry seeds; the finish is tasty but short at this stage though. I would rate this higher if it hit with more dynamism and brought a lengthier more complex finish. The one-two punch on this comes 1) fruit purity; 2) balance; and 3) mouthfeel -- ok that's three punches. This is much better than my last encounter where I tasted in under near 100-degree conditions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazingly sweet, oaky, cotton candy nose, explosive fruit, spice, white pepper, Italian cold cuts, and sweet vanilla. No astrigency, with really sweet and fine tannins that coat the mouth and persist for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good, but nothing special. Very well balanced, but didn't overwhelm with uniqueness. Fair price for a quality wine. Aromas and flavors of dark berries, plum, prune/raisin, lactones, ginger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3+ hour decant, then poured back into bottle: very dark red color; forced to drink out of a scotch glass. Vanilla, oak, some grape-juice on the nose. This wine appears to be shot. It's about 96-degrees in here and this wine appears to be lost to the heat. I may have over-decanted, or the temperature could have cooked this -- not sure. This is no good right now; luckily, I have one more bottle left to give this a fair shake in more hospitable conditions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cherry and blackberry are pronounced with hints of spice. Smooth and balanced. Tannins in check. A little hot, but drinking nicely. 4th bottle tried. This one has been the best, but each bottle has been inconsistent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This one surprised me. I expected a good but typical Aussie shiraz, but this was better and beyond typical. At first, it was a transparent ruby-violet in the glass, surprisingly light in appearance, looking more like a very dense pinot than a shiraz of typical extraction. It started with black raspberry and blueberry aromas and flavors, with bright cherry dominating the mouth, but it also immediately offered unusual notes of alfalfa, olive tapenade, and subtle petrol/tarry notes, which really piqued my interest. After an hour or so, this wine had transformed in the glass to a dense, nearly opaque purple, with blackberry and peppery spice beginning to overtake the lighter-toned fruit, and with the tar coming to the fore as well. All the while, it's a very well-balanced, well-structured wine that shows remarkable elegance, restraint and complexity in comparison to its Australian peers. Not a fruit bomb, overextracted, or hot. 92+ Part of my surprise came by comparison with the R Wines First Class, which I had the night before, which has received raves from WA and some pretty high marks from the CT community, and which I found to be a good but pretty underwhelming, one-dimensional wine. The '05 Schild Estate is head and shoulders above that, and compares favorably with the 04 Schild Reserve and even with a recent bottle of '06 Mitolo G.A.M. (though previous bottles of the '06 G.A.M. have been another few steps higher). Makes me wish I had tried the '04.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very, very good, but we've had so many like this it's hard to understand how WS picks this out from the 'pack' - It was very dark, concentrated with notes of plum, chocolate, tobacco, leather and oak on the nose, very well structured, complex and smooth on the palate with excellent length, well done! (90 Points).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No formal notes, but an extremely tasty shiraz. Not quite as complex as some other efforts out of Australia (Two Hands, for example), but delicious. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ottawa Offline: DoctaP and the MWP (Restaurant Bocado's): Popped and poured. Served on it's own, just for fun. Deep ruby red, very opaque. Very Aussie Shiraz nose cherries, peppers and oak. Nice body and mouth-feel with crisp acidity and nice texture. Moderate finish. Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of white chocolate, cherry and spice. Rich, thick rasberry currants over smooth tanins. Nice persistent finish with tanins balanced with acidity complements "sweetness" well. [One hour later...] Sweetness fades - which serves the wine well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank after the first two Two hands. This is really an amazing wine once and once you factor in its price point it becomes even more impressive. My previous tasting not is unchanged
"Hints of dark chocolate and smoke on the nose with dark fruit and mint on the palate. This wine had very nice mouthfeel and balance. Its drinking great now, but should be fantastic in a few years. Also its refresing to see this winery buck the trend of sky high alcohol content. While years ago 14.5% would have raised eyebrows, nowadays its on the low end with some going over 16%."
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
YES! fantastic with dark chocolate. Extremely full bodied, full of sweet fruit. This is a wine to drink on its own as it does not require any food to show its potential. Not over the top, good balance between alcohol and fruit. One of my fruit bomb favorites.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little bit of a lesser bottle than I remember the first one to be. Could be the flu/stomach/stress thing I was fighting. In an event, I stand by my earlier comments. Not a fruit bomb, but a layered experience that is very nice for the price. Like I said, I like my Glaetzers, but this price point is a lot more palatable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
started at an 88 - Opened after having the leftover Marquis #9. I have to say that after the other wine this only registered an 88. Maybe on its own I would give it a higher score, but not after the other wine. I'll finish off tomorrow and see if I change my opinion. two days later it was better. I'll up the score to an 89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque w/ deep ruby at the edge. Great nose of plums and earthiness. I found this to be nicely balanced. Tannins provide a backbone to the acidity . Mid-weight mouthfeel and a good finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent value, very fruit forward, didn't taste the over-oak mentioned by others. This was even better on the second day, opened somewhat. strong cherry, raspberry, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
biting and unbalanced. This is the 3rd bottle we've tried - one was very good and lived up to the hype, but two now were off. Could be a vendor issue. We'll see how the others turn out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Didn't get the over the top oak that some people get. Bright red fruit flavors. I agree with some that it is a touch one dimensional. Maybe that's because the first flavors this wine are so bright, impressionable, and in your face. I really liked this a lot. Definitely had better Shiraz but this is pretty darn good. Similar in a way to the Mollydooker Boxer but with much brighter fruit and no cough syrupy weight and texture. 90-91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Dark purple color. Upon opening, obvious road tar aroma. Gives away to strong oak, with smoke, vanilla, spice and dark plums in the background. Lots of ripe blue and black fruits - plum, bluberry and blackberry, but nearly overshadowed by very heavy oak, which adds some smoke, spice and vanilla components. This would have been a better wine without the heavy oak treatment, as this really reminded me of the over the top oak flavors that come through on yellow-tail and other $10 Aussie Shiraz. My recollection of the 2004 was a much more polished wine, with less overt oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the glass, deep purples fading to lighter tinged edges. Light glass cling. On the nose, vanilla oak dominates, mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, alcohol heat, over ripe cherries, licorice, vanilla and a bit of raisin . Light to medium mouthfeel. Overall, this Shiraz is a departure from many Barossa Valley offerings, it is not fruit forward or overly complex.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
this is the second bottle i have tried. Drank out of a plastic cup at a cocktail party. Really nice fruit level with leathery earthy undertones. smooth round finish with a good amt of body. Nobody else would drink it because of the screw top! price/quality ratio very favorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hints of dark chocolate and smoke on the nose with dark fruit and mint on the palate. This wine had very nice mouthfeel and balance. Its drinking great now, but should be fantastic in a few years. Also its refresing to see this winery buck the trend of sky high alcohol content. While years ago 14.5% would have raised eyebrows, nowadays its on the low end with some going over 16%. A nicely done wine and if you factor in the price its a bargain!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took this bottle to a party of 5 with no idea what might be served. I did NOT care for it paired with the cream-based shrimp alfredo, but others found it fine. I DID love it by itself an hour after dinner - big and oaky and full of berries. I poured into 5 glasses at least an hour before dinner and it probably needed all of that, but it was a big hit. A nice value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackberry and cedar in the nose. Highly extracted fruit flavors that linger and finish nicely. Excellent complexity in fruit, but loses out on more points due to lack of additional dimensions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2 Hour Decant. Although no formal notes, do recall an intense creamy plum, peppery spice, raspberry and a touch of tart red fruit. Nice medium-long finish and fine tannins. Well done, and a great QPR. Less OTP than the Boxer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark in Color; the nose is made up of cherry and a vegetal component. In the taste the cherry continues with strong tannins plus spices and oak: This is a complex wine with an impressive finish and is very well balanced. A real buy for under $30.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intense, loads of red fruit, plus liqourice and vanilla notes. Young, bright and aggressively tannic. Open now if you want a proper Barossa Shiraz slap in the face!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple/dark ruby. Surprising amount of earthy funk in the initial aroma blast. (But this blows off quite fast). Also plenty of blueberry, plum and vanilla oak aromas. This wine is really elusive for me right now. Very hard to pin down. Seems to be going through lots of phases over 2+ hours. At times feela very fruit forward, at other times the fruit seema buried beneath hot wood. At times seems overly acidic, at others too heavy on the palate. Certainly not at its best with food (grilled burgers). Seems to have settled down a bit by the end of the night: vivid red fruits (cherry, raspberry, maybe even strawberry), bright acidity, with plenty of vanilla extract, some pepper and perhaps slight hints of chocolate. Lively, medium length finish. Fine tannins. Rather tasty, but not particularly complex. Let's see how it does tomorrow. . . . Much better the 2nd night. Really seems to have settled down. Wood and heat have receded, allowing more supple cherry and boysenberry fruit to shine through. Vanilla component still strong, but better integrated. White and black pepper. Acidity seems better in balance as well, giving the wine a good lift and keeping the flavors tart and lively. Worked better with food as well (BBQ short ribs). Perhaps some floral and eucalyptus aromas now with just traces of that initial earthiness underneath. Occasional suggestions of mint. Finish is longer. Tannins quite mellow. 88 the first night. Almost 92 the 2nd.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open: Fruit! - Decanted - First Taste: a little tannic but the fruit is there, pretty long finish - Second Taste: fruit starting to come through, oak, maybe still a little acidic, great full finish, lasts awhile, pretty good - More: after about 2 1/2 hours it smoothed out a bit, good fruit. Overall a pretty good shiraz, look forward to trying the 2004 and comparing to Kaesler, Green Point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I double decanted the wine after opening, but it still took over an hour to really start settling down and smoothing out. Good nose that got better in the glass - Tar, plum, typical of a quality $18-20 Aussie shiraz. Nice finish. Good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A solid wine and a good value. A good fruit attack on the first sip but falls off quick on the finish. Drank too cold. Will revisit on future tastings. Bottle 1 of 6.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
good value here. smooth well balanced, dark plum flavors a little muted at first pour turns into oaky vanilla with nice finish after 2 hours. definitely decant 2 hours. very solid wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On a second taste - with decanting - MUCH better! Front end fruit toned down, with a nice finish. Definitely needs some aging to round the edges off. 2-3 years minimum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A huge punch to the face of fruit. I interpret the peppery everyone else seems to pick up as a bit acidic. I'd go with big currant, maybe a hint of cranberry. I might even side with the tar comments. A bit of aging might mellow this one out.
Overall it's not bad, but I'm frankly quite disappointed. Read about this in Wine Spectator the last few years with such rave reviews I was excited to finally see some on the shelf and try some. Guess I put this one up on a pedestal or picked the wrong vintage to sample. We'll see how the next few bottles sit. Maybe it was a bad food pairing, or the remnants of this cold I've had...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This might come together with a bit of btl age, but majority opinion this weekend was that it was a bit disjointed at present. A surprising amount of acidity (some described as "brightness") against medium depth fruit results in an impression of 'unbalanced". Quite pleasant, but suffered from being compared to the Penfolds Jim brought up, as well as the Morgan Syrah from the evening before.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hints of tobacco and pepper on the nose. Wonderful taste that evolves as the bottle opens. While not tight on opening the wine does exhibit more of its layered nuances over time. Initially tastes of pepper and tobacco and evolves with some smoky fruit flavors. As described below, this is not a fruit bomb. I like my Glaetzers a lot. This would be thier refined cousin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice,big black berry with a full mouthful of plum and berry and hints of spice and tary leather. Does not hold up to a taste off with the 2004. With age may smooth out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good color. Well balanced. This was a big wine, but under control. The heat was not excessive. The tannins and acidity were balanced through a solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big and fruity, but I think it's a bit more rexerved that many other over the top nuclear fruit bomb Aussies. I find this wine fun to drink, it has a great mouthfeel and isn't all that serious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just a huge Fruit bomb period. Not balanced at all. Loads currant, blackberries, oak, and tar. Finish is leather and a bit short. Not balanced as it has no acid or structure. If you want a monster then get it but I find it difficult to drink as its tiresome on the palate. This is a all night bottle to sip on.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of berries and bacon and smoke. Palate is rich and full os black fruits and spice and meat. Not as sweet as I had expected. Delicious and full-bodied and smooth.
40+5+5+17+18+8=93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5 hours. We have tried 4 bottles of the highly acclaimed '04 and this one tasted just as good to us. Great fruit and the alcohol seemed a bit more hidden than last years. Lots of berry and vanilla flavors. Excellent for the price and way better than the Mollydookers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
a lot of vanilla oak on the nose with some blueberry. good balanced mouth with tons of creamy blueberry milkshake. not my style, but I can see where it would be enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good dark fruit, a little closes the first night - we drank half the bottle. I screwed the cap back on (didn't pump) and put it in the fridge. 2 days later set it out, let it come up to room temperature, and it was better! The oak, caramel and vanilla flavors shown through along with the fruit with a more fragrant nose. One to decant for a couple hours before drinking for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
popped and poured, Notes very similar to last time, only the wine was a little hotter, and a little more disappointing. Very dark color, kind of full bodied, and not as much fruit as I would have expected....A lot better shiraz offerings at the price point in my opinion
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
loads of tar and dark fruits, blackberries, blueberries. Not overly sweet with pretty good balance. Not quite up to the 04 which has more balance and complexity but not too shabby either.
day 2 ...huge blueberry fruit nose and flavors coming out. Somewhat less earthy then day 1. Upgraded from 90 to 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big up front fruit on the nose, almost oily. Lots of dark fruit on the palate, fig, currant and blackberry. Nicely balanced, not overly oaked or hot. Less tannins than expected, drinks easy and smooth. Might intergrate better with some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
blackberries, tar and oak on the nose. Blackberries on the palate plus some oak and acidity but not much tannins. Extremely fruit forward and one dimensional wine. Finishes with a cherry flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very Nice. Dark red in the glass. Almost opaque. Aromas of cherry, tar, licorice. Palate tastes of plum and cherry. Bold and fruity, and has the Schild smooth mouth-coatiness that is very pleasurable. Nice medium finish.
40+5+5+16+16+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
unscrewed the top and poured. Deep dark color. Not as much fruit on the nose or palate as some of the other 2005 Aussie Shiraz's I have had. Tasted a little cherry and red berrie flavorThis wine seemed a little tight and a lttle hot. Definitely could have used a couple of hours of decanting. A solid effort but not spectacular
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not as overwhelmingly extracted as some of the Barossa Shiraz, but deep and dark never-the-less. For those put off by fruit bombs, this one delivers a rich tarry nose and succulent fruit, without being bombastic. The finish is nice, if not outstanding. Fattens up considerably with air. 4+12+16+8=90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5 hrs and drank over the next 2 hrs. This shiraz exhibited a dark garnet/purple color. On the nose, huge fruit aromas burst forward with ripe cherries, blackberries and plums being the most prominent with hints of vanilla, none of those coffee notes from the 2004 were present. On the palate, huge flavors of cherries, blueberries and plums gave way to hints of chocolate on the finish. Not bad, but my least favorite out of the 3 vintages I have tried (2002, 2004, and 2005). HS89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially, this seems lighter than the 04. Pleasant and elegant, with strong but not overpowering oak. Will check back in a day to see if it improves. 2nd day: significantly better, which was a relief as I have a case. Odd how a wine can not just open up but even (seemingly) gain body with some air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/13/2024 - Ozmango Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ink red. Cigars, vanilla, cassis. Fruit soft, but fading, now driven by strong pepper tannins. Unbalanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2023 - Ozmango Likes this wine: 90 Points
Boozy, porty still drinkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2022 - Ozmango Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense. Dark red. Cigar box. Black cherries. Plumby. Slightly astringent finish. Surviving well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2020 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
On the boozy side, but still enjoyable. Black jam notes along with espresso.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 88 Points
Gifted this by good friends....it is a unique wine for sure. I've not had much experience with aged Shiraz from Barossa. Screw cap removed and poured with immediate bricking noted, not just the rim but the whole glass. Aged, oxidized scents of prune/raisin, black dirt from the garden and maybe a little smoke? There's some gentle black pepper and spicebox, maybe Asian spices? Light to mid weight in the mouth, whatever tannins this had are well integrated. It's different for sure and enjoyable but not enough for me to chase this one down for more purchasing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2018 - Gti2ton wrote: flawed
Past it's drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2017 - Ace5glassesinthesky wrote: 89 Points
Pretty solid, held up for several days
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2017 - grumi62 wrote: 90 Points
easy to drink, still fresh, fruity, no browning, very enjoyable, was well kept and was #16 top 100 wine spec in 2007 $20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2015 - tcosgriff wrote: 83 Points
Purple color with faint brown rim. Vague plum bouquet and flavor at the start, changing to meaty notes with airing. Unbalanced with alcohol and tannins very much in evidence. Quite similar to first bottle. No more remaining.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2015 - tcosgriff wrote: 84 Points
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor that reminded me of dilute soy sauce. Not well balanced, with alcohol and tannins showing up in the ending. Not unpleasant, but nothing memorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2015 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 1hr. Part of a 2005 through 2008 vertical. Pleasantly suprised at the elegance and balance that accompanied the plummy fruit. Not going to turn me back to Aussie Shiraz but work with BBQ ribs. WOTN for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2015 - greidy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark, almost black color, red-brown rim, not clear, almost muddy, probably a bit too old now… The nose opens with lots of black, dark and cooked fruits, cherries, plums and others. After an hour in a glass – became very gamy, full of peppers and spices – very similar to good Hermitage.
The palate is great – lots of everything: fruits, alcohol, tasty tannins and in great harmony. Long, long aftertaste; if you have one - drink it now and enjoy!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2015 - Napacablover Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not very bold, but it is smooth and has good flavor
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2015 - Napacablover wrote: 88 Points
Not nearly as good as the last bottle of Schild
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2014 - carlsport Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still kicking
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2014 - carlsport Likes this wine: 90 Points
Loads of red and purple fruit. A little too much bite upon PnP, but after about 30 minutes in the glass it really softened and was a pleasure to drink. Well integrated tannins. Even my wife (white wine drinker) liked this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2014 - drewdown wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic QPR!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2014 - Napacablover Likes this wine: 92 Points
A big bold Syrah - delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2014 - carlsport Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better than my previous experiences. Tend to agree with Jobu and Night Train notes below.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2013 - S1 Does not like this wine:
Tasting Syrah Blind in the Sunroom (It's for charity, after all): Slightly grapey but mostly blackberry jam with some grape jam. Then there is alcohol heat followed by a little raspberry jam. The acidity on the finish is unpleasant although it does make it easier to swallow the jam. No more for me thank you.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2013 - Kentw wrote:
An off bottle. Flat tasting with no fruit or anything of interest. Unlike the previous experience with this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2013 - TheWineDon wrote: 89 Points
No where near the pleasures of the 2004. And by the second night was thoroughly underwhelming with an annoying raisiny flavor. Perhaps the other 2 bottles I have will turn out better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2013 - Jobu wrote: 92 Points
Big, dense, dark fruit. Jammy, but not sweet like the recent vintages. Smoke, game, and spice on the finish. Should've given it some time to breathe.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 90 Points
Doris liked this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2013 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
More than two years since my last bottle of this. Mostly smoke on the nose. Tart black cherries on the palate, along with a little smoke. BIG fruit, but not jammy. Medium body and a better-than-average finish. Tannins have subsided, but the tartness of the fruit makes it very food-friendly. Probably still has a useful life expectancy of another couple years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2013 - brooklynJ&O wrote: 82 Points
heavy, heavy, heavy. decent with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
soft nose of mature dark fruits. On the palate, silky, rich texture. Flavors of mature fruit, earthy, spicy. Very nicely done although the 04 was still a better wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2013 - Wine Nut Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is my last bottle of 6 and honestly I do not feel it has ever delivered to its fullest potential. I continue to enjoy the 2004 which is well above this which is somewhat surprising given how great the 2005 vintage was for Barossa. Nonetheless, the wine has a wonderful deep burgundy color and offers up a lovely bouquet filled with roasted meat, sage, and marzipan. The wine has a very nice mouthfeel but it just fails to deliver the kind of complexity one would expect for a 93 rated wine by Wine Spectator as well as the lacklustre finish. Black cherry and blueberry proudly display themselves as well as licorice but sadly the tannins are very faint at best before giving away to a finish which is just not there. After the scandal at Schild I have refused to buy any more because I feel I can't trust the winery. I think they deliver good value but there are countless other syrahs and shiraz out there which offer ample choice at a comparable price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2013 - joet626 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice and well-balanced. A little spice on the palate and a smooth finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2012 - Bon and Nate wrote:
Very tannic in first hour, but softened and opened up with two hours decant. Still a very good wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2012 - RhoneG wrote: 88 Points
The fruit was still there but the wine seemed a little one-dimensional and hollow, maybe an off bottle. Earlier bottles were more lush and balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2012 - dpohlman wrote: 91 Points
This lived up to its billing of being a very good "value priced" Shiraz. I wish I had a few more bottles remaining.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - Cresus wrote: 90 Points
Very full red. Jammy and prominent licorice. A little out of balance but had nice fruit. Overall good but I didn't like as much as previous bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
same notes as on 2/9/12. Get it if you can find it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2012 - WI WineLover wrote: 88 Points
Better....but makes me wonder if I got a case that was was a little off
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2012 - Kentw wrote: 90 Points
Full bodied, dark fruits, good structure. Jammy with a bit of earth and spice. Smooth and easy to drink. Nice wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2012 - jcsf420 wrote: 91 Points
This is getting even better, aging very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2012 - carlsport wrote: 88 Points
PnP and it smelled like scotch. You could really taste the alcohal, but in a way that worked for me this time as it is more integrated than it has been in the past. 2nd and 3rd glass each improved into a nice robust fruity shiraz. Would recommend decanting in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2012 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 84 Points
Medium red in colour, there is cherry and strawberry on the nose with a character that is best described as raw cane sugar.
The Palate has light red fruits on entry with initially soft tannins that have a bitter savoury twist on the finish, the wine is disjointed and not your typical Barossa Shiraz.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2012-2014)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Delicious, layered and exploding with dark fruits. Easy drinking and a crowd pleaser. (Doris loved this wine)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2012 - joet626 wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Delicious and full of flavor. Spicy and jammy. A wonderful bottle. After about 45 minutes an aroma much like burgundy or earthy pinot noir took over the nose. Did not change the taste but was an interesting aroma change over the time of drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2012 - 17seconds wrote: 92 Points
Not that into Aussie Shiraz anymore but I love Schild. "Lite in texture"? Are you kidding? This is a huge red bursting with black licorice and dark fruit notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2012 - pols wrote: 86 Points
lite in texture , not much going on , hoping the 04 is much better
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2011 - drnegao wrote: 96 Points
Very Nice. Very smooth... Very persistent both smell and taste... A little spicy. Expansive In Brazil, however i'll certanly try it again
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Screw cap, no aeration, served at cellar temp. Blueberry, charcoal, fine herbs and a touch of spice follow from the nose to the palate. Lavender and detergent follow along by the second glass. Low-medium acidity, medium- finish, average complexity. A touch of heat forces its hand toward the unbalanced side of the equation. Would buy again at $15 or less. Did not show as well as the previous bottle, 18 months ago. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2014, score: B/B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2011 - Skully wrote: 86 Points
Interesting wine.. From what I remember from last night's tasting was very unusual nose and taste. Tabacco, earthy notes are overly pronounced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2011 - Night Train wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. This one seemed to exhibit a little more chocolate along with the blueberries and pepper. Very rich, with a rich, fairly long finish. Drinking very well right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2011 - pikemasterflash wrote:
Really drinking well right now--better than the much lauded 2008
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2011 - z_willus_d wrote:
I must have been doing a disservice decanting this on previous tastes. Right out of the bottle (screwcap) and still chilled this "smells" far more interesting than I recall in past encounters. It has loads of smoke and sweet bbq, like braised short-ribs in some tasty sauce; blackened, fire-toasted marshmallow comes through; perhaps also some sweetened huckleberry with toasted nut and gram cracker pie crust; warming open, more traditional "bomb" fruits with blueberry, blackberry, and black raspberry. Without even tempting a sip over the past 40-minutes (while preparing dinner), it's curious to see how the wine's bouquet has diminished to around half intensity. I now see this is to be expected based on my previous experiences with decanting this wine. On to the palate. It's fairly obvious to me that this bottle is drinking at it's peak right now -- tannins fully integrated and barely detectable in any form; mouthfeel pliant and expansive like water; charred berry flavors integrated, any bumps or outliers fully smoothed over; and oak as backseat as it's every going to get, though it still manages to pop forward into the driver capsule from time to time, especially in the finish. Medium plus length. As good as this may be drinking now, per its self-set bar (and class), it still manages to bore me a bit and even becomes somewhat cloying taken in too quickly. (And I was/am actually in the mood for a fruity Shiraz tonight.) The overblown charred/toasted quality of the flavors grinds on me; a bit of heat showing on the back throat. Here we have the destination for wines created over-ripe/reduced/oaked, even one as promising and relatively balanced as this. Interesting, a second pour straight from the cool, capped bottle shows more delicious fruit (some pine resin) and that big, big nose. Some kind of beverage that peters out after a half-hour open I guess, but it's not hard to imagine how it was this earned 93-pts. from the pros.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2011 - Jmartin wrote:
Very nice. Not overwhelming as many Aussie Shiraz can be. This is a great house that consistently turns out good wine at a fair price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2011 - moudy wrote: 88 Points
Thinner and not as aromatic as I expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2011 - Grape Stuff wrote: 91 Points
1 hour decant. Great nose of smoke, salt and roasted berries. Black plum, blackberry, cream and smokey oak on the palate. Soft, integrated tannins. Short/Medium length. Still. Great QPR, but I see no reason to wait on opening these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2011 - jcsf420 wrote: 90 Points
I wanted to see if this was anything like the 2008 we've be drinking. Yes it is. Still big on the nose an palate, smokey pepper with a little cedar on the nose. Big dark fruit on the palate. Enjyed it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2011 - Bryan004 wrote: 89 Points
Started with a case of this a few years ago, 3 left throughout the years. Really enjoyed it last year but seems to have fallen off a bit. Nose started off with a nice smoky pepper that seems to have faded after an hour decant. A little bland in the mouth from what I remember from previous years. Still a decent QPR if you bought it before the top 100 status was revealed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Terrific! Plum on the nose. Fruit explodes in the mouth. Hard to believe that this is nearly six years old, tastes like it was just released.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2011 - Night Train wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Nice, dark color. Berries and a little wood on the nose. Mostly blueberries on the palate, with a little vanilla and a hint of pepper. Pleasant, almost luxurious mouthfeel and a decent finish. No "wow" factor, but a well-balanced, well-made wine. A terrific value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2011 - vsbastosx wrote: 91 Points
It's very prominent on the nose with peppery scents along pronounced oak and vanilla. On the palate, this is balanced, supple with more pepper and vanilla. It also has very nice acidity and gentle tannins. This is very good! Recommended!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2010 - datwaymon wrote: 90 Points
Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - Popped and poured, initial taste was sweet/tangy with a fair amount of tannins. Over the next several hours it integrated quite nicely into a very enjoyable wine. Nothing too complex, but it paired well with a gourmet burger with a sweet dressing/relish.
And from the tasting note assistant:
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Fast.
It smells like Cherry, Oak, Tobacco, and Alcohol/Hot.
It tastes like Black Pepper, Coffee, Chocolate, and Alcohol/Hot.
The body is Medium.
The wine is textured Round.
The wine finishes Short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2010 - Gravity wrote: 91 Points
great fruit, definitely new world in style but not over the top. I really enjoyed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2010 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted about 90 minutes. A big monster. Lots of dark fruit on the mid palate that finishes with a big chocolate note. Agree with other tasting notes that this is lacking some complexity, although it paired nicely with leftover baby back ribs. Not sure I'd buy again. Paid $17.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2010 - WI WineLover wrote: 86 Points
Surprisingly disappointing. Great color and nose, but doesn't have a great finish and has hard to identify flavors. Not a top 20 wine as Wine Spectator says it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2010 - hkm520240 wrote: 88 Points
Dark red colour. Aroma of berry, plum, lots of peppery spice with hints of oak. Medium bodied, with plum, mocha and peppery spice on palate. Medium long savoury finish with soft tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2010 - RobertDwyer Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Lands on the palate with a clumsy thud. After a few bottles of this wine I can safely say I don't like it and won't buy it again. Ever. Probably one of the worst Wine Spectator recommendations I've ever acted upon. The wine is clean and perhaps well-made. I just don't like the style. Not because it's jammy, bright, or a fruit-bomb: It's not. But because it's not very vibrant and has dull quirky flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Fairly solid wine, with a definite ripeness, but enough acid to keep it honest. Slight green notes added interest. Round tannins, could have used more. As it warmed, it became a little cloying and got some oddly over the hill fruit notes. Not bad, but nothing brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2010 - carlsport wrote: 87 Points
My third bottle in last 6 months. Not as good as the first two. A lot of juice and some spice. Did open up after a couple hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
Very big, bold, spicy and hot. Best on second day. Everything was a bit over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2010 - Solombra wrote: 92 Points
Last of 5 bottles and a really good value. 5 years in the bottle was ideal. Easy on the fruit with spice and rounded tannins. Short-medium finish with nice color. Excellent wine and really versatile with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2010 - johnwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth, silky, choclatey Shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP. Lots of freshness and gushing acidity alongside layers of berries and spice. A delicious bottle that has many solid years ahead of it. Very nicely balanced and the right amount of complexity for $20. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2010 - rben_mvp wrote: 91 Points
A yummy wine. Nicely integrated. Drinking very nice. I might hang onto a bottle and see what it does with a few more years of age. I love experiments.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2010 - mercer22 wrote: 91 Points
Nice, medium weight, balanced, juice bomb with an Australian accent. Drinking very well now. Pulled this out of the cellar after an exhausting day of moving. After finishing the bottle in my new jacuzzi tub, my back finally stopped aching.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2010 - jmh st louis wrote: 92 Points
better than expected. Wonderful balance start to finish with plethora of dark fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2010 - pikemasterflash wrote: 90 Points
Better than I was expecting. Drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2010 - Domer99 wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured with grilled tenderloin tips. Beautiful red color, lighter than I expected. The nose was full of sour cherries and I could sense a bit of heat. On the palate, loads of cherries and spice (licorice?), with a little heat. I dug the fruit/spice combo, but for some reason don't necessarily view this wine as complex. I also got a little sense that this wine was "manufactured". A fine wine at a decent price, but nowhere near the top 20 of 2007 from WS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2010 - t4drman Likes this wine: 85 Points
Here is a wine that can be enjoyed by most with medium to heavy meals. The nose suggests a medium weight shiraz, but the flavor and mouthfeel are packed with heft and adequate body. While definitely not what many Aussie shiraz fruit bombs are comprised of, this wine exhibits some nice balance between the alcohol and underlying fruit flavors. A brooding taste of wine but full and complete. I think you'll enjoy for the price as well as the fact that it is screw capped, thus allowing a perfect bottle every time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2010 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Spices and fruit embraced by velvety vanilla. A balanced wonderful Shiraz which bears no resemblance to Australian alcohol-eucalyptus-monster-wines made of the same grape variety.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2010 - Martin Redmond wrote: 89 Points
A bouquet of ripe red berries, licorice and spice makes way for a palate impression of rich plummy fruits, with tannins that are soft yet abundant, and showing a hint of vanillin oak on lingering finish. Has complexity, depth and excellent detail.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2010 - lubetenson wrote: 89 Points
Degustação chez Michael e Luciana em março 2010. Pra mim o melhor da noite. Excelente shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2010 - rfras wrote: 90 Points
Big thick wine with plenty of fruit flavors and the and a nice touch of spice. Relatively smooth finish for a big wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2010 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
Not quite as complex as the bottle described in my 5/08 note, but that's not saying much.
Showing lots of blackberry fruit, cocoa and anise spices on the nose, blueberry and black cherry joins blackberry in the mouth, with interesting charred herbal notes. Outstanding wine and great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2010 - schway wrote: 91 Points
Quite enjoyable, if relatively simple. Great, fresh, ripe fruit. Concentrated, but thankfully shy of jammy. Blackberry, raspberry, plum, strawberry chocolate, licorice, bell pepper, a bit of vanilla cream. Wood is there, but well-integrated. Air reveals secondary notes of cinnamon, olive paste, along with a faint floral element. Well balanced, with decent restraint, given the high alcohol content. Moderate acidity. Pretty low tannins at this stage. Shortish finish. Excellent with braised short ribs. I'd say this is in its peak drinking window right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2010 - ashugarg wrote: 90 Points
Big wine, lots of tannins at first, but mellowed very quickly (~30 mins). Spicy, with a tad of fruit. Good long finish. Good example of an Australian Shiraz, but with a slightly higher alcohol content (so it felt) and less fruit forward (which again I liked).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2010 - Normones wrote: 90 Points
heavy handed (which I like) and huge black pepper. You need to be a fan of this type of wine to like (gigantic Aussi Shiraz)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2009 - fwgolfpro wrote: 90 Points
Kinda coming into its own. Nice and easy drinking, but doesn't distinguish itself from other Aussie shiraz. Has the profile of quality shiraz in the $15-$25 category. Solid, just not rememberable with so many great aussie values in this vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2009 - Justin B wrote: 92 Points
Much better bottle than my first bottle. Loads of fruit, creamy, and really enjoyable. Love this stuff... especially at such an amazing price. Excellent QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2009 - Viini-Viren wrote: 92 Points
Spicy and thick with lots of fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2009 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 91 Points
Very nice wine - full throttled Australian shiraz but still remains quite smooth on the palate. Great example of Aussie Shiraz
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2009 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Marvellous iin its genre. Thick, spicy and fruity, yet not jammy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2009 - z_willus_d wrote: 88 Points
90-min decant in med-base @68F. No evidence of age in the hearts-card red Aussie core. Prune and American oak (not saying that's what was used) are most evident on the nose; else wise liquorish and a slice of dried deciduous wood bark; overall, a bit heady and port-like. "Juicy, dark, stewed fruits" best describe the flavor profile on the palate. If there were any pure fruit here, it would be cherries (mixed with black liquorish); bit of small-wrapped mocha candies towards the back. This is quite full-bodied up front and in the middle and has a respectable elegance to its mouthfeel. ...turns to bitter cherry and tar in the later innings of the finish. Overall, this is a tad boring, and for my money I'd prefer something with more purity of fruit and perhaps more of the earth, game and complexity that I know this variety can produce. Typical for the region and a fine specimen as compared to its regional peers. If you like Australian Shiraz, then you couldn't do too far better than with this '05 Schild.
Quick note: this was much more agreeable to my palate on day2 after a night in the fridge (just screw-capped) - less oak, more fruit/flavor integration and complexity (a salty "caramelization" factor); it was better on day3 as well but had gone a little stale and didn't match the day2 performance, which was around 89+ pts. for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2009 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Great Aussie shiiraz. Velvety and fruity - not overly alcoholic or jammy. My favorite aussie shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2009 - pedwards wrote: 86 Points
Not much fruit coming forward on the palate and rather simple. The oak is just too dominant for me. Pass
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2009 - deltacop wrote: 92 Points
Real nice. It was paired with a 2006 Amon ra which was ausome. This has improved considerable since my last schilds. I have another and It will be tempting to have it soon. I always like shilds as a good QPR, but this has developed better then I had hoped when I decided to let my remaining two get a little more age on them. If you have them enjoy them.
Enjoy!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2009 - Viini-Viren wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied, well balanced spicy and fruity Shiraz without the typical excesses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2009 - jctaylor wrote: 90 Points
A solid wine but more green pepper and olive than I like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2009 - dbarnaby wrote: 92 Points
cherry, licorice and spice with a hint of vanillia with soft tannins. This wine is more robust then the 2006
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2009 - Normones wrote: 92 Points
beautiful wine. let me just say that. However, it is too acidic - I actually could not drink for than a couple of glasses because of mouth fatigue. acidid and highly extracted. It is a bombastic glass of wine but only one glass. Would have been a 96 if it had more balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2009 - thevandelindes wrote: 92 Points
This is how good a Shiraz can be. Too often the Aussies come out with both barrels blazing, ending in a wine with all heat, and no character. This wine was a perfect balance between Aussie strength and a an enjoyable Shiraz. The Velvet Hammer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2009 - ziavino wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Dark fruit everywhere, some oak, some pepper, and an unctuous, rich mouthfeel. I've been down on Aussie Shiraz for awhile, but I think this is a darn good bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2009 - Guitar George wrote: 90 Points
A nicer experience than last time, but I kept the rating the same. It is not as big a Shiraz as other Barossa's, but makes up for it in layered complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2009 - hammie1234 wrote: 89 Points
Plump, round, and delicately balanced for a shiraz. Great value for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Awesome. I loved this. I didn't pick up much on the nose but the palate was a cornicopia of dark fruits including blueberreis and blackberries. I got some balanced oak on this. It was big and sweet, but not like the Boxer. This was very tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2009 - NuTricks wrote: 91 Points
Same as my 2/15/08 note. Still a great QPR wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2009 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
A very rich experience. Fills your mouth with generous fruit, which overshadows spices and alcohol. Very well made and balanced. Some wine experts may differ, but I like this wine with dark chocolate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2009 - pvd420 wrote: 88 Points
Certainly complex, with loads of pain grille, jammy blackberry fruit and brambly notes. A little too viscous and rich for my tastes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2008 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
good value
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Significantly better than the bottle I had a year ago. Smoky fruit on the nose. Rich and smooth palate. Not at all over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2008 - TwoDogs wrote: 89 Points
nice upfront delicate spice taste but short on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 91 Points
Spices, eucalyptus, fruit. Thick and full bodied well balanced fruit bomb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2008 - alandf wrote: 92 Points
Rich fruity deliciousness! A touch syrupy and hot on the first day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 92 Points
Fruiy, spicy and full bodied. Great with dark chocolate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2008 - jheathw wrote: 84 Points
Displays all the hallmarks of a typical Shiraz...big bold fruit and a spicy finish....but a little too over the top for my tastes. Someone below mentions fruit liquor and that seems about right to me. I've found the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge wines to be more to my liking when I'm hankering for Shiraz.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Fruity, full-bodied, spicy. Great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Georgeous combination of fruit and spices. One of the best Aussie shirazes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful fruit and spice aromas. Velvet and fruit. An awesome product!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2008 - z_willus_d wrote: 90 Points
Cracked and poured; dark red-violet color; as nose opens, I get hints of blueberry and a heavy handed touch of blackberry. Great balance and a comfortable mouthfeel on this one; there's a bitterness in this wine that gives off a quality of a fruit liquor; very silky tannins on the finish; acidity in just the right balance here; the most obvious note on this finish calls to mind the briary flavors in the residue of blackberry seeds; the finish is tasty but short at this stage though. I would rate this higher if it hit with more dynamism and brought a lengthier more complex finish. The one-two punch on this comes 1) fruit purity; 2) balance; and 3) mouthfeel -- ok that's three punches. This is much better than my last encounter where I tasted in under near 100-degree conditions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 94 Points
Amazingly sweet, oaky, cotton candy nose, explosive fruit, spice, white pepper, Italian cold cuts, and sweet vanilla. No astrigency, with really sweet and fine tannins that coat the mouth and persist for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2008 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, consistent with previous TN (5/21).
Really great value that wowed the dinner guests who were unfamiliar with the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2008 - joes8888 wrote: 90 Points
really good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2008 - dmcella wrote:
Good, but nothing special. Very well balanced, but didn't overwhelm with uniqueness. Fair price for a quality wine. Aromas and flavors of dark berries, plum, prune/raisin, lactones, ginger.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2008 - z_willus_d wrote:
3+ hour decant, then poured back into bottle: very dark red color; forced to drink out of a scotch glass. Vanilla, oak, some grape-juice on the nose. This wine appears to be shot. It's about 96-degrees in here and this wine appears to be lost to the heat. I may have over-decanted, or the temperature could have cooked this -- not sure. This is no good right now; luckily, I have one more bottle left to give this a fair shake in more hospitable conditions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2008 - woody33 wrote: 91 Points
Very bold and strong wine, almost like biting into something,,, like 2 ranches!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
As always, fresh full bodied fruit. Although I am not a great admirer of Aussie style Shiraz, this is my favorite wine. Great stuff!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2008 - sjk7 wrote: 90 Points
Cherry and blackberry are pronounced with hints of spice. Smooth and balanced. Tannins in check. A little hot, but drinking nicely. 4th bottle tried. This one has been the best, but each bottle has been inconsistent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 93 Points
Full-bodied, lots of fruit. Great balance!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2008 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
This one surprised me. I expected a good but typical Aussie shiraz, but this was better and beyond typical. At first, it was a transparent ruby-violet in the glass, surprisingly light in appearance, looking more like a very dense pinot than a shiraz of typical extraction. It started with black raspberry and blueberry aromas and flavors, with bright cherry dominating the mouth, but it also immediately offered unusual notes of alfalfa, olive tapenade, and subtle petrol/tarry notes, which really piqued my interest. After an hour or so, this wine had transformed in the glass to a dense, nearly opaque purple, with blackberry and peppery spice beginning to overtake the lighter-toned fruit, and with the tar coming to the fore as well. All the while, it's a very well-balanced, well-structured wine that shows remarkable elegance, restraint and complexity in comparison to its Australian peers. Not a fruit bomb, overextracted, or hot. 92+
Part of my surprise came by comparison with the R Wines First Class, which I had the night before, which has received raves from WA and some pretty high marks from the CT community, and which I found to be a good but pretty underwhelming, one-dimensional wine. The '05 Schild Estate is head and shoulders above that, and compares favorably with the 04 Schild Reserve and even with a recent bottle of '06 Mitolo G.A.M. (though previous bottles of the '06 G.A.M. have been another few steps higher). Makes me wish I had tried the '04.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2008 - klmarshall wrote: 88 Points
Creamy and packed. But too hot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2008 - bluedog wrote: 90 Points
Tasty fruit bomb. Plum, cherry, long finish. Smooth and creamy. Slight edge to it, but it will be outstanding in another year or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2008 - Tarrant wrote: 90 Points
Very, very good, but we've had so many like this it's hard to understand how WS picks this out from the 'pack' - It was very dark, concentrated with notes of plum, chocolate, tobacco, leather and oak on the nose, very well structured, complex and smooth on the palate with excellent length, well done! (90 Points).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2008 - Grape Stuff wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes, but an extremely tasty shiraz. Not quite as complex as some other efforts out of Australia (Two Hands, for example), but delicious. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 94 Points
Still my favorite wine. Fruit, spice and you-name-it in perfect balance. Can a wine really taste any better than this?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2008 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
Intense black berry, hints of more subtle blueberry and ripe plum, pepper, spice and flinty graphite on the moderate finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2008 - vinaigre wrote: 90 Points
Ottawa Offline: DoctaP and the MWP (Restaurant Bocado's): Popped and poured. Served on it's own, just for fun.
Deep ruby red, very opaque. Very Aussie Shiraz nose cherries, peppers and oak. Nice body and mouth-feel with crisp acidity and nice texture. Moderate finish. Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2+) Tasty but very, very fruity. Might be better with more age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2008 - tairanosaurus wrote: 91 Points
Nose of white chocolate, cherry and spice. Rich, thick rasberry currants over smooth tanins. Nice persistent finish with tanins balanced with acidity complements "sweetness" well. [One hour later...] Sweetness fades - which serves the wine well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2008 - dtirsell wrote: 89 Points
Very fruit forward, strong cherry nose, taste. Excellent value. Consistent from bottle to bottle...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - ggtirevite wrote: 88 Points
Fruity, good nose, medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2008 - cvvhrn wrote: 89 Points
Drank after the first two Two hands. This is really an amazing wine once and once you factor in its price point it becomes even more impressive. My previous tasting not is unchanged
"Hints of dark chocolate and smoke on the nose with dark fruit and mint on the palate. This wine had very nice mouthfeel and balance. Its drinking great now, but should be fantastic in a few years. Also its refresing to see this winery buck the trend of sky high alcohol content. While years ago 14.5% would have raised eyebrows, nowadays its on the low end with some going over 16%."
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2008 - Viini-Viren wrote: 94 Points
YES! fantastic with dark chocolate. Extremely full bodied, full of sweet fruit. This is a wine to drink on its own as it does not require any food to show its potential. Not over the top, good balance between alcohol and fruit. One of my fruit bomb favorites.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2008 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
nice blueberry and depth. very good and excellent QPR for $15. But, not even close to the 04
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2008 - Guitar George wrote: 90 Points
A little bit of a lesser bottle than I remember the first one to be. Could be the flu/stomach/stress thing I was fighting. In an event, I stand by my earlier comments. Not a fruit bomb, but a layered experience that is very nice for the price. Like I said, I like my Glaetzers, but this price point is a lot more palatable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2008 - deltacop wrote: 89 Points
started at an 88 - Opened after having the leftover Marquis #9. I have to say that after the other wine this only registered an 88. Maybe on its own I would give it a higher score, but not after the other wine. I'll finish off tomorrow and see if I change my opinion. two days later it was better. I'll up the score to an 89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2008 - NuTricks wrote: 90 Points
Opaque w/ deep ruby at the edge. Great nose of plums and earthiness. I found this to be nicely balanced. Tannins provide a backbone to the acidity . Mid-weight mouthfeel and a good finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2008 - dtirsell wrote: 90 Points
Excellent value, very fruit forward, didn't taste the over-oak mentioned by others. This was even better on the second day, opened somewhat. strong cherry, raspberry, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2008 - sjk7 wrote: 85 Points
biting and unbalanced. This is the 3rd bottle we've tried - one was very good and lived up to the hype, but two now were off. Could be a vendor issue. We'll see how the others turn out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2008 - A&C wrote: 86 Points
Still very tanic. Needs time. Too early to assess. Right now, its an 86.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2008 - docmckay wrote: 91 Points
Didn't get the over the top oak that some people get. Bright red fruit flavors. I agree with some that it is a touch one dimensional. Maybe that's because the first flavors this wine are so bright, impressionable, and in your face. I really liked this a lot. Definitely had better Shiraz but this is pretty darn good. Similar in a way to the Mollydooker Boxer but with much brighter fruit and no cough syrupy weight and texture. 90-91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2008 - Grape_ape wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Dark purple color. Upon opening, obvious road tar aroma. Gives away to strong oak, with smoke, vanilla, spice and dark plums in the background. Lots of ripe blue and black fruits - plum, bluberry and blackberry, but nearly overshadowed by very heavy oak, which adds some smoke, spice and vanilla components. This would have been a better wine without the heavy oak treatment, as this really reminded me of the over the top oak flavors that come through on yellow-tail and other $10 Aussie Shiraz. My recollection of the 2004 was a much more polished wine, with less overt oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2008 - 16% wrote: 84 Points
In the glass, deep purples fading to lighter tinged edges. Light glass cling. On the nose, vanilla oak dominates, mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, alcohol heat, over ripe cherries, licorice, vanilla and a bit of raisin . Light to medium mouthfeel. Overall, this Shiraz is a departure from many Barossa Valley offerings, it is not fruit forward or overly complex.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2008 - tina7474 wrote: 89 Points
this is the second bottle i have tried. Drank out of a plastic cup at a cocktail party. Really nice fruit level with leathery earthy undertones. smooth round finish with a good amt of body. Nobody else would drink it because of the screw top! price/quality ratio very favorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2008 - cvvhrn wrote: 89 Points
Hints of dark chocolate and smoke on the nose with dark fruit and mint on the palate. This wine had very nice mouthfeel and balance. Its drinking great now, but should be fantastic in a few years. Also its refresing to see this winery buck the trend of sky high alcohol content. While years ago 14.5% would have raised eyebrows, nowadays its on the low end with some going over 16%. A nicely done wine and if you factor in the price its a bargain!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2008 - 6TMinMan wrote: 89 Points
Took this bottle to a party of 5 with no idea what might be served. I did NOT care for it paired with the cream-based shrimp alfredo, but others found it fine. I DID love it by itself an hour after dinner - big and oaky and full of berries. I poured into 5 glasses at least an hour before dinner and it probably needed all of that, but it was a big hit. A nice value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2007 - snaff wrote: 89 Points
Blackberry and cedar in the nose. Highly extracted fruit flavors that linger and finish nicely. Excellent complexity in fruit, but loses out on more points due to lack of additional dimensions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2007 - Grape Stuff wrote: 92 Points
2 Hour Decant. Although no formal notes, do recall an intense creamy plum, peppery spice, raspberry and a touch of tart red fruit. Nice medium-long finish and fine tannins. Well done, and a great QPR. Less OTP than the Boxer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2007 - DT-Mills wrote: 91 Points
Dark in Color; the nose is made up of cherry and a vegetal component. In the taste the cherry continues with strong tannins plus spices and oak: This is a complex wine with an impressive finish and is very well balanced. A real buy for under $30.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2007 - drunkstar wrote: 89 Points
nice enough ...but a touch one dimensional...good value though
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2007 - iep wrote: 90 Points
Intense, loads of red fruit, plus liqourice and vanilla notes. Young, bright and aggressively tannic. Open now if you want a proper Barossa Shiraz slap in the face!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2007 - schway wrote: 91 Points
Purple/dark ruby. Surprising amount of earthy funk in the initial aroma blast. (But this blows off quite fast). Also plenty of blueberry, plum and vanilla oak aromas. This wine is really elusive for me right now. Very hard to pin down. Seems to be going through lots of phases over 2+ hours. At times feela very fruit forward, at other times the fruit seema buried beneath hot wood. At times seems overly acidic, at others too heavy on the palate. Certainly not at its best with food (grilled burgers). Seems to have settled down a bit by the end of the night: vivid red fruits (cherry, raspberry, maybe even strawberry), bright acidity, with plenty of vanilla extract, some pepper and perhaps slight hints of chocolate. Lively, medium length finish. Fine tannins. Rather tasty, but not particularly complex. Let's see how it does tomorrow. . . .
Much better the 2nd night. Really seems to have settled down. Wood and heat have receded, allowing more supple cherry and boysenberry fruit to shine through. Vanilla component still strong, but better integrated. White and black pepper. Acidity seems better in balance as well, giving the wine a good lift and keeping the flavors tart and lively. Worked better with food as well (BBQ short ribs). Perhaps some floral and eucalyptus aromas now with just traces of that initial earthiness underneath. Occasional suggestions of mint. Finish is longer. Tannins quite mellow. 88 the first night. Almost 92 the 2nd.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2007 - HughB wrote: 88 Points
Open: Fruit! - Decanted - First Taste: a little tannic but the fruit is there, pretty long finish - Second Taste: fruit starting to come through, oak, maybe still a little acidic, great full finish, lasts awhile, pretty good - More: after about 2 1/2 hours it smoothed out a bit, good fruit. Overall a pretty good shiraz, look forward to trying the 2004 and comparing to Kaesler, Green Point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2007 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 91 Points
I double decanted the wine after opening, but it still took over an hour to really start settling down and smoothing out. Good nose that got better in the glass - Tar, plum, typical of a quality $18-20 Aussie shiraz. Nice finish. Good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2007 - sjk7 wrote: 88 Points
A solid wine and a good value. A good fruit attack on the first sip but falls off quick on the finish. Drank too cold. Will revisit on future tastings. Bottle 1 of 6.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2007 - TwoDogs wrote: 91 Points
Pretty one dimensional fruit bomb at first. Evolved with some depth by the last glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2007 - mike l. wrote: 90 Points
good value here. smooth well balanced, dark plum flavors a little muted at first pour turns into oaky vanilla with nice finish after 2 hours. definitely decant 2 hours. very solid wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2007 - Rhaub wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark fruit. Spice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2007 - mos wrote: 89 Points
On a second taste - with decanting - MUCH better! Front end fruit toned down, with a nice finish. Definitely needs some aging to round the edges off. 2-3 years minimum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2007 - mos wrote: 86 Points
A huge punch to the face of fruit. I interpret the peppery everyone else seems to pick up as a bit acidic. I'd go with big currant, maybe a hint of cranberry. I might even side with the tar comments. A bit of aging might mellow this one out.
Overall it's not bad, but I'm frankly quite disappointed. Read about this in Wine Spectator the last few years with such rave reviews I was excited to finally see some on the shelf and try some. Guess I put this one up on a pedestal or picked the wrong vintage to sample. We'll see how the next few bottles sit. Maybe it was a bad food pairing, or the remnants of this cold I've had...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2007 - cmr wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth well balanced Shiraz. After some air a nice smoky vanilla element started to come through but very slight and not at all overpowering.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2007 - vc wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, though didnt seem as refined as the '04. Maybe a bit more earthy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
This might come together with a bit of btl age, but majority opinion this weekend was that it was a bit disjointed at present. A surprising amount of acidity (some described as "brightness") against medium depth fruit results in an impression of 'unbalanced". Quite pleasant, but suffered from being compared to the Penfolds Jim brought up, as well as the Morgan Syrah from the evening before.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2007 - Guitar George wrote: 91 Points
Hints of tobacco and pepper on the nose. Wonderful taste that evolves as the bottle opens. While not tight on opening the wine does exhibit more of its layered nuances over time. Initially tastes of pepper and tobacco and evolves with some smoky fruit flavors. As described below, this is not a fruit bomb. I like my Glaetzers a lot. This would be thier refined cousin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2007 - JonnyB wrote: 89 Points
oak and smoky tar with sweet fruit and spice, nice finish. Not sure about the QPR as I prefer other Aussie's for less $
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2007 - terroir wrote: 89 Points
Very nice,big black berry with a full mouthful of plum and berry and hints of spice and tary leather. Does not hold up to
a taste off with the 2004. With age may smooth out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2007 - corkman wrote: 91 Points
Good color. Well balanced. This was a big wine, but under control. The heat was not excessive. The tannins and acidity were balanced through a solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2007 - archer752000 wrote: 92 Points
Big and explosive , but with balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2007 - jryoung wrote: 89 Points
Big and fruity, but I think it's a bit more rexerved that many other over the top nuclear fruit bomb Aussies. I find this wine fun to drink, it has a great mouthfeel and isn't all that serious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2007 - ijayb wrote: 86 Points
Just a huge Fruit bomb period. Not balanced at all. Loads currant, blackberries, oak, and tar. Finish is leather and a bit short. Not balanced as it has no acid or structure.
If you want a monster then get it but I find it difficult to drink as its tiresome on the palate. This is a all night bottle to sip on.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple - almost opaque.
Nose of berries and bacon and smoke. Palate is rich and full os black fruits and spice and meat. Not as sweet as I had expected. Delicious and full-bodied and smooth.
40+5+5+17+18+8=93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2007 - rzelman wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. No noticable heat. Lots of fruit on the palate. Tannins smoothed out over the course of an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2007 - danseng wrote:
Decanted for 1.5 hours. We have tried 4 bottles of the highly acclaimed '04 and this one tasted just as good to us. Great fruit and the alcohol seemed a bit more hidden than last years. Lots of berry and vanilla flavors. Excellent for the price and way better than the Mollydookers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2007 - NuTricks wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, fruity and a great finish. Very yummy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Ripe fruit on the nose and palate. A real pleaser. Good QPR, too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 88 Points
a lot of vanilla oak on the nose with some blueberry. good balanced mouth with tons of creamy blueberry milkshake. not my style, but I can see where it would be enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2007 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 90 Points
Good dark fruit, a little closes the first night - we drank half the bottle. I screwed the cap back on (didn't pump) and put it in the fridge. 2 days later set it out, let it come up to room temperature, and it was better! The oak, caramel and vanilla flavors shown through along with the fruit with a more fragrant nose. One to decant for a couple hours before drinking for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2007 - Coupe 60 wrote: 87 Points
popped and poured, Notes very similar to last time, only the wine was a little hotter, and a little more disappointing. Very dark color, kind of full bodied, and not as much fruit as I would have expected....A lot better shiraz offerings at the price point in my opinion
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2007 - texaswino wrote: 91 Points
loads of tar and dark fruits, blackberries, blueberries. Not overly sweet with pretty good balance. Not quite up to the 04 which has more balance and complexity but not too shabby either.
day 2 ...huge blueberry fruit nose and flavors coming out. Somewhat less earthy then day 1. Upgraded from 90 to 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
In every way, just a small step down from the 04. Not as aromatic, and the finish was not as long.
But... for $20, this another QPR winner!!!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2007 - 17seconds wrote: 90 Points
Huge Aussie shiraz with dark fruit. Nicely balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2007 - gellie wrote: 88 Points
typical aussie fruit bomb.juat a bit of complexitiy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2007 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
Big up front fruit on the nose, almost oily. Lots of dark fruit on the palate, fig, currant and blackberry. Nicely balanced, not overly oaked or hot. Less tannins than expected, drinks easy and smooth. Might intergrate better with some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2007 - ijayb wrote: 88 Points
blackberries, tar and oak on the nose. Blackberries on the palate plus some oak and acidity but not much tannins. Extremely fruit forward and one dimensional wine.
Finishes with a cherry flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 89 Points
Very Nice. Dark red in the glass. Almost opaque. Aromas of cherry, tar, licorice. Palate tastes of plum and cherry. Bold and fruity, and has the Schild smooth mouth-coatiness that is very pleasurable. Nice medium finish.
40+5+5+16+16+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2007 - Coupe 60 wrote: 88 Points
unscrewed the top and poured. Deep dark color. Not as much fruit on the nose or palate as some of the other 2005 Aussie Shiraz's I have had. Tasted a little cherry and red berrie flavorThis wine seemed a little tight and a lttle hot. Definitely could have used a couple of hours of decanting. A solid effort but not spectacular
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2007 - ths wrote: 90 Points
Not as overwhelmingly extracted as some of the Barossa Shiraz, but deep and dark never-the-less. For those put off by fruit bombs, this one delivers a rich tarry nose and succulent fruit, without being bombastic. The finish is nice, if not outstanding. Fattens up considerably with air. 4+12+16+8=90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2007 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Bacon fat; Smoke
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hrs and drank over the next 2 hrs. This shiraz exhibited a dark garnet/purple color. On the nose, huge fruit aromas burst forward with ripe cherries, blackberries and plums being the most prominent with hints of vanilla, none of those coffee notes from the 2004 were present. On the palate, huge flavors of cherries, blueberries and plums gave way to hints of chocolate on the finish. Not bad, but my least favorite out of the 3 vintages I have tried (2002, 2004, and 2005). HS89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2007 - gellie wrote: 90 Points
A bit more foward than the 2004.a bit more oak and fruit initallly,then settles down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2007 - jim dixon wrote: 91 Points
Initially, this seems lighter than the 04. Pleasant and elegant, with strong but not overpowering oak. Will check back in a day to see if it improves.
2nd day: significantly better, which was a relief as I have a case. Odd how a wine can not just open up but even (seemingly) gain body with some air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment