shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. i had been staying away from australia after suffering with another producer's fiasco involving a purchased grape second release following a high parker rating. i acquired this bottle in a barter arrangement with a friend who prefers to drink wine at a lower price point. this bottle reminded me that better quality aussie shiraz should not be overlooked. this is a big wine in every respect. deep purple color. rich nose wafts effortlessly from the glass and fills the room. a small portion of this invades the sinuses. complex in the mouth with multiple layers-something that is rarely found in a wine at this price point. lots of blackberry and earth. a small amount of fine sediment, most of which adheres to the wall of the bottle. the rest lands in the last glassful. the winemaker had said that this would go ten years from the vintage. it has already outperformed that estimate. i wouldn't be surprised if it continued to improve for another few years.
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The smell of blackcurrant is incredible. Really powerful Shiraz but it copes with its 15 1/2 % alcohol really well. Probably shouldn't keep much longer but still drinking well.
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Pristine bottle, level into neck, perfect cork. Not decanted, served at 16C/61F. At five years of age this was a very impressive but nigh undrinkable overripe monster. Three years ago it seemed to be ill at ease with itself. Today this is still turbo-charged Australian Shiraz in overdrive, but the decade or so of bottle age has brought out the minerality and Clare Valley freshness (TA is nothing less than 6.80 gr/l) that are also present and give a lovely balance to this powerhouse (15.5% ABV) of a wine. Very youthful appearance, deep and rich purple but not as black as before; very expressive nose, beef stew, eucalyptus, bacon, black cherries, hint of rubber, flowers, minerals; the palate has lovely freshness and good grip of ripe tannins, real drive and energy, a nice hint of smoky oak, a silky and surprisingly elegant drink; relatively light and floral finish but very good aromatic persistence with very little back-end heat. So glad I waited for this. Brilliant with Carbonnades à la Flamande and roast potatoes.
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Special late harvest, weighing in at 15.5%. Almost black still. Incredibly medicinal, immense power and weight from the fruit, liquid minerals, very deep, massive even, but with clear surmaturité particularly on the finish. Acidity keeps everything together, oak and tannins are fully absorbed. Very impressive but something seems wrong. Hard to score. Hence a cowardly 90. Now - 2014.
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Deep purple colour - beautiful nose full of red fruit - cheeries. Still very full bodied on the palate but the tannins have softened nicely. Somewhat of a sweet finish. Drinking very well right now although it probably has a few years left in it.
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Extreme taste. Very very expresive. Painting the glass and the decanter deeply red. Full bodied fruit, eucalyptic, cherries. Missing a real spine. Very very typical taste. Nt sure what to think about it. Not erverybody loved the wine. I did.....
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Opened 2 hours in front. Dark full bodied. Smoke, vanilla, dark cherrie, eucalyptus. Real ozzie shiraz fruit bomb. Velvetty, glass painting. Super.........Wish I had more than the one that is left in my cellar. Ccan easily go a few more years. I drink it again in 2013.
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P&P. Color dark red with lots of black hues, opaque, full body. Initial nose was big ripe blackberries and vanilla. After a couple hours, more nuances emerged, including a lovely floral quality, a thread of eucalyptus, licorice, tar, and cedar all in nice proportions. On the attack there are deep blackberries moderately sweet but not like an OTT bomb, then melding into cassis, juicy red cherries, licorice, lots of milk and dark chocolate, and some oak. A long 35-40s finish of cherries, chocolate, and the oak at times is at times a little more prominent than I prefer but by no means obtrusive. Alc is over 15 yet remarkably in check. Medium-plus acidity gives this a liveliness and distinction from a lot of other Oz shiraz. Nice frame of fine-grained tannins are well integrated, but beyond that this shows little if any sign of age. Paired beautifully with hibachi steak. Overall this is drinking very well, can easily go a few more years.
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Favorable initial impressions of stewed dark fruits with cherry cola overtones quickly become overwhelmed by too much tobacco and oak in my opinion - maybe I've just become accustomed to the currently more prevalent Aussie fruit bombs...
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Very similar to the last bottle, a little more smoothed out mellow. Still berries and cinnamon, a slight mint flavor as well. Paired with chili-dogs, actually worked very well. Rich, ripe fruit. Good structure and balance. The spice and mint add some interesting character.
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Pop-n-pour. It took about an hour to open up in the glass but when it did it was worth the wait. Lovely weight, good balance, very smooth with a medium finish. I got cassis, stewed dark friut, some licorice and a touch of oak on the palate.
Drinking much better than the '03 at this point, I'll open my last bottle in five years (2013).
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Deep dark ruby colors, leggy, with an aroma that just hits your nose at full speed (and this is after an hour of breathing air). Wet leather, jammy, and absolutely delicious. I will be looking to buy more of this fantastic wine.
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Decented for 1 hour. Interesting nose of dark fruit, tar, smoke and sweet oak. Full-bodied palate of stewed fruits, licorice, earth and spice. While chewy, not the "in your face" style of Aussie shiraz. I liked this alot.
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A wine of enormous proportions, reminiscent of (almost) dry vintage port; very ripe sweet fruit, toasty new oak, very dominant eucalyptus; very, very, big but not unwieldy as acidity is adequate, juicy; peppery finish, a bit hot, good length. Not a food wine.
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Dark, inky purple. Nose of berries and cinnamon. The palate has blackberries, a green oak flavor, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. Very rich and creamy texture. Very ripe fruit, but with enough structure to keep it in line. Smooth, moderate length finish adds some vanilla. I'm not sure what food this would pair well with. Maybe a rich barbecue.
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If this wine was coffee, it'd have a ton of cream in it. I actually wrote down blackberry/blueberries and cream as a tasting note. This wine is thick. I'd watch the legs run down my glass a couple minutes after drinking it. Light tannins, and decent acidity, but I still felt like I was eating this wine instead of drinking. Drink this by itself, no way does it pair with food. It's a nice wine, but I just didn't quite know what to do with it. I must confess I did spend a couple of minutes at one point just smelling it, b/c the aromas were desert aromas. Maybe blackberries and cream, maybe pie. It's something else.
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A very dark wine with a beautiful nose of cassis, blackberries, licorice, and buckets of chocolate. The palate was atypical for a Aussie, displaying a nice acidic core intermixed with the dominant presence of blackberries. Clean long finish with fine tannins. A more sophisticated Aussie that I find myself embracing more and more these days than the Parkerized fruit bombs out there. Jim Barry rocks!! 92+ as this will develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
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A dark beauty. Color is dark purple. Nose reveals blackberry and beef boullion with a hint of eucalyptus (typical of Jim Barry wines). On the palate, blackberry is promptly framed by spice and mint. Enjoyable and complex. Could age a few years.
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3/20/2022 - kiwivino wrote:
Outstanding , dark wonderful wine. Amazing at this age
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12/27/2018 - Veg Likes this wine:
Still amazing. This was my last bottle. Must find another vintage.
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12/17/2016 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. i had been staying away from australia after suffering with another producer's fiasco involving a purchased grape second release following a high parker rating. i acquired this bottle in a barter arrangement with a friend who prefers to drink wine at a lower price point. this bottle reminded me that better quality aussie shiraz should not be overlooked. this is a big wine in every respect. deep purple color. rich nose wafts effortlessly from the glass and fills the room. a small portion of this invades the sinuses. complex in the mouth with multiple layers-something that is rarely found in a wine at this price point. lots of blackberry and earth. a small amount of fine sediment, most of which adheres to the wall of the bottle. the rest lands in the last glassful. the winemaker had said that this would go ten years from the vintage. it has already outperformed that estimate. i wouldn't be surprised if it continued to improve for another few years.
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1/16/2016 - Veg Likes this wine:
The smell of blackcurrant is incredible. Really powerful Shiraz but it copes with its 15 1/2 % alcohol really well. Probably shouldn't keep much longer but still drinking well.
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9/28/2014 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Pristine bottle, level into neck, perfect cork. Not decanted, served at 16C/61F. At five years of age this was a very impressive but nigh undrinkable overripe monster. Three years ago it seemed to be ill at ease with itself. Today this is still turbo-charged Australian Shiraz in overdrive, but the decade or so of bottle age has brought out the minerality and Clare Valley freshness (TA is nothing less than 6.80 gr/l) that are also present and give a lovely balance to this powerhouse (15.5% ABV) of a wine. Very youthful appearance, deep and rich purple but not as black as before; very expressive nose, beef stew, eucalyptus, bacon, black cherries, hint of rubber, flowers, minerals; the palate has lovely freshness and good grip of ripe tannins, real drive and energy, a nice hint of smoky oak, a silky and surprisingly elegant drink; relatively light and floral finish but very good aromatic persistence with very little back-end heat. So glad I waited for this. Brilliant with Carbonnades à la Flamande and roast potatoes.
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8/25/2013 - eddo & penny Likes this wine:
at it's peak
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6/3/2012 - Rolster72 wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful rich fruit on the palate. Very full bodied - dense on the palate and very rich but with a smooth finish. Drinking very well right now.
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10/30/2011 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Special late harvest, weighing in at 15.5%. Almost black still. Incredibly medicinal, immense power and weight from the fruit, liquid minerals, very deep, massive even, but with clear surmaturité particularly on the finish. Acidity keeps everything together, oak and tannins are fully absorbed. Very impressive but something seems wrong. Hard to score. Hence a cowardly 90. Now - 2014.
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6/5/2011 - tonsta wrote: 93 Points
Massive wine
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5/20/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple colour - beautiful nose full of red fruit - cheeries. Still very full bodied on the palate but the tannins have softened nicely. Somewhat of a sweet finish. Drinking very well right now although it probably has a few years left in it.
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3/20/2010 - WilD wrote:
Extreme taste. Very very expresive. Painting the glass and the decanter deeply red. Full bodied fruit, eucalyptic, cherries. Missing a real spine. Very very typical taste. Nt sure what to think about it. Not erverybody loved the wine. I did.....
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2/20/2010 - WilD wrote: 91 Points
See former notes. Great shyraz.....
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1/22/2010 - WilD wrote: 92 Points
Opened 2 hours in front. Dark full bodied. Smoke, vanilla, dark cherrie, eucalyptus. Real ozzie shiraz fruit bomb. Velvetty, glass painting. Super.........Wish I had more than the one that is left in my cellar. Ccan easily go a few more years. I drink it again in 2013.
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1/16/2010 - Vinacull wrote: 92 Points
P&P. Color dark red with lots of black hues, opaque, full body. Initial nose was big ripe blackberries and vanilla. After a couple hours, more nuances emerged, including a lovely floral quality, a thread of eucalyptus, licorice, tar, and cedar all in nice proportions. On the attack there are deep blackberries moderately sweet but not like an OTT bomb, then melding into cassis, juicy red cherries, licorice, lots of milk and dark chocolate, and some oak. A long 35-40s finish of cherries, chocolate, and the oak at times is at times a little more prominent than I prefer but by no means obtrusive. Alc is over 15 yet remarkably in check. Medium-plus acidity gives this a liveliness and distinction from a lot of other Oz shiraz. Nice frame of fine-grained tannins are well integrated, but beyond that this shows little if any sign of age. Paired beautifully with hibachi steak. Overall this is drinking very well, can easily go a few more years.
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11/28/2009 - sirswami wrote: 87 Points
Favorable initial impressions of stewed dark fruits with cherry cola overtones quickly become overwhelmed by too much tobacco and oak in my opinion - maybe I've just become accustomed to the currently more prevalent Aussie fruit bombs...
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11/4/2009 - JavaMonkey wrote: 92 Points
Very similar to the last bottle, a little more smoothed out mellow. Still berries and cinnamon, a slight mint flavor as well. Paired with chili-dogs, actually worked very well. Rich, ripe fruit. Good structure and balance. The spice and mint add some interesting character.
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11/2/2008 - rockguit wrote: 94 Points
Showing beautifully tonight. Consistent with previous notes. I wish I had more of these.
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9/7/2008 - tonsta wrote: 93 Points
Pop-n-pour. It took about an hour to open up in the glass but when it did it was worth the wait. Lovely weight, good balance, very smooth with a medium finish. I got cassis, stewed dark friut, some licorice and a touch of oak on the palate.
Drinking much better than the '03 at this point, I'll open my last bottle in five years (2013).
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8/31/2008 - oski wrote: 94 Points
Amazin, rich deep concentrated mouthfeel of cassis, meat and dark inky purple goodness.
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6/29/2008 - rockguit wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with previous notes--beautifully balanced, delicious wine. Complex nose; flavors of chocolate, raspberries, blackberries and spice.
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2/22/2008 - rockguit wrote: 94 Points
Fruit forward, lots of red raspberry. Complex mid-palate of minerals & spice, nice round finish. Excellent.
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1/26/2008 - fallen wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark ruby colors, leggy, with an aroma that just hits your nose at full speed (and this is after an hour of breathing air). Wet leather, jammy, and absolutely delicious. I will be looking to buy more of this fantastic wine.
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11/10/2007 - meatman wrote: 92 Points
Decented for 1 hour. Interesting nose of dark fruit, tar, smoke and sweet oak. Full-bodied palate of stewed fruits, licorice, earth and spice. While chewy, not the "in your face" style of Aussie shiraz. I liked this alot.
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11/9/2007 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A wine of enormous proportions, reminiscent of (almost) dry vintage port; very ripe sweet fruit, toasty new oak, very dominant eucalyptus; very, very, big but not unwieldy as acidity is adequate, juicy; peppery finish, a bit hot, good length. Not a food wine.
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6/15/2007 - JavaMonkey wrote: 92 Points
Dark, inky purple. Nose of berries and cinnamon. The palate has blackberries, a green oak flavor, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. Very rich and creamy texture. Very ripe fruit, but with enough structure to keep it in line. Smooth, moderate length finish adds some vanilla. I'm not sure what food this would pair well with. Maybe a rich barbecue.
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4/11/2007 - hutch wrote: 88 Points
If this wine was coffee, it'd have a ton of cream in it. I actually wrote down blackberry/blueberries and cream as a tasting note. This wine is thick. I'd watch the legs run down my glass a couple minutes after drinking it. Light tannins, and decent acidity, but I still felt like I was eating this wine instead of drinking. Drink this by itself, no way does it pair with food. It's a nice wine, but I just didn't quite know what to do with it. I must confess I did spend a couple of minutes at one point just smelling it, b/c the aromas were desert aromas. Maybe blackberries and cream, maybe pie. It's something else.
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4/6/2007 - vinaigre wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby red. Nose of band-aids, raspberries and red fruits. Crisp acidity with a nice balance and finish.
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1/13/2007 - mimik wrote: 93 Points
Same notes as the November 17th, 2006 tasting notes
.
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11/17/2006 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
A very dark wine with a beautiful nose of cassis, blackberries, licorice, and buckets of chocolate. The palate was atypical for a Aussie, displaying a nice acidic core intermixed with the dominant presence of blackberries. Clean long finish with fine tannins. A more sophisticated Aussie that I find myself embracing more and more these days than the Parkerized fruit bombs out there. Jim Barry rocks!! 92+ as this will develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
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9/22/2006 - mimik wrote: 93 Points
Australia Wine Fair in Montreal. Dark spicy and oaky with black fruits. Well balanced and smooth tannic finish.
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8/12/2006 - MTC wrote: 89 Points
This wine was hot although it got better after about 4 hours. I am not a big fan of Shiraz generally.
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12/25/2005 - Thilo wrote: 90 Points
A dark beauty. Color is dark purple. Nose reveals blackberry and beef boullion with a hint of eucalyptus (typical of Jim Barry wines). On the palate, blackberry is promptly framed by spice and mint. Enjoyable and complex. Could age a few years.
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