Deep red and still surprisingly powerful wine, with fruit driven palate still evident and nose of cedar and touch of olives. Lovely wine but feel it’s starting to fade so wouldn’t hold much longer.
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Just lovely. I agree with some other notes that it is fully developed now, but I saw no sign of fading yet. I'd say you could keep it for a while yet - as I intend to with my remaining bottles.
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Forgot to take notes. Decanted 2 hours before serving. Quintessential Shiraz paired with roast leg of lamb. Cork was in excellent condition - extracted with a screw pull - I’ve cellared this for the last 14 years in good conditions.
I would drink remaining ones soon - it was fully developed and seemed to be just at the start of fading.
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Superb wine, beautiful fruit with integrated Tannins. Unbelievable length. Wine is drinking perfectly now and is by far the best Stonewell that I’ve had.
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I've been meaning to open this wine for a while but a family occasion seemed like the right time. I served it slightly chilled with minimal decanting. The ruby colours looked great in the glasses. There was heavy sediment and the cork snapped halfway out so it was definitely time. It had notes of blackberry and mushroom with complex tases of like black currant, blackberry, mushroom, black pepper and stoniness. The medium body with a long finish and high acidity paired well with the tenderloins. I would see it's probably time to drink up now since it started losing its edge with too much time out of the bottle.
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Cork, 14.5% alc. Pliable cork in good condition; only wetted at the end.
Deep red colour with some signs of bricking. Very blocky at first on the nose, but with airing it opens up to reveal its perfumed, complex nuances. Dark soy sauce, concentrated blueberry, blackberry, ink, menthol, dusty cedar cupboard, chocolate, and vanilla.
Rich palate with some gloss, but not overdone. Very fine but plentiful tannins that pull right through the finish. There is a Cabernet-like autumnal leaf note that builds intrigue.
Opinion: Solid Barossa Shiraz. This would pair nicely with rich Chinese fried noodle dishes. Good drinking now but could further develop over the next few years. Next bottle in 2023.
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Color: deep dark purple Nose: wet stone fig plum Taste: plum, anise, black fruit, vanilla and eucalyptus This is in a sweet spot right now - dense, spicy with integrated fruit and soft lingering finish. This is no Aussie fruit bomb - the years have mellowed and made this wine sumptuous without a slap in the face.
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Drank this at a wine dinner at Chao Shan Cuisine last night with a group of wine drinkers. Theme of the evening: Australia Shiraz.
Dark purple in colour. Another serious wine in the line-up; slightly cool and restrained, moderated in style rather than over-the-top. Dark plums, dark chocolates, expresso and a touch of mint. Well structured, well crafted and well made.
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Looking at my previous notes, this is a wine that is definitely on an up curve. It was drinking so well - everyone enjoyed it enormously. In my last note I said this was a typical Barossa shiraz, but I'm changing my mind. Yes the flavour profile is very Barossa, but it is nicely refined, and in that dimension at least, not typical of the region. I have 3 bottles left and my aim is to drink the last one @ 25 years old. Got to plan it out from here.
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Given its age and my storing condition, this bottle has held up well. I reckon it still have at least 3 years and longer if stored well.
Scent of stewed fruit, dark cherry. Very closed straight out of the bottle, a couple of hours in a decanter helped greatly in revealing the gentle giant - the palate was covered in dark chocolate, strong black tea and finished with a dollop of bulky fruity tannin. I'm happy.
Will open the next bottle in couple of years time.
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Old School Aussie Shiraz with age (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Vanilla, cream very slight oxidation, leathery over black berry fruits and spice. Juicy and, in this line up, almost fleshy with slightly tart blackberry. Hmm.
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Dark; initially plenty of menthol (blows off) & bold black fruits, later hint of morello cherry & coffee grinds; muscular, chewy, dense plush fruit, full bodied; unapologetic, power-packed finish. Very long, this should be going strong in a decade's time.
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This is definitely getting better with age. Nicely balanced with great length. Typical Barossa shiraz with rich fruits, offset by fresh acidity and refined tannins. There are no signs of ageing, at least in this bottle, so in my view many years of enjoyment ahead.
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Smaller than expected even with big sediment and brownish color it had artificial nose that a slowly disappeared when decanting. Very fruity but somehow closed and not what I expected from a stonewell. Almost seemed overdue. Let's hope an additional day will help.
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Decanted for an hour. Still youthful and bright. This wine has great length and structure, with good acidity balancing the red and black fruits. Will definitely continue to improve for a while.
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Dark chocolate , serious black plums and black currants with some smoky licourice and tar. However , v smooth restraint yet structured as a barista should be. But classic with power without being ott. Some incense and sandalwood oak as well.
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Martin's Birthday Dinner aka Shiraz Night (Sixty 40, Rochester Mall, Singapore): Like the 2001 Jim Barry Armagh that preceded it, this was opened for some 5 hours before service. However, while the former wine seemed advanced and drank beautifully, this still had a sense that its best years are some way ahead of it. I liked the nose. It was rather sweeter and more primary than the other wines, but was certainly not over-the-top with its deep aromas of dark cherries, blackberries tossed together with a bit of spice and some slightly green bits of eucalyptus and menthol. Nice. Like the nose the palate was also the biggest amongst the wines - we all had no problem identifying it as a Barossa. It had deep flavours of blueberries and plums still showing a primary edge to them, but this was certainly well-crafted, with a good sense of structure and balance lent to it by a really well-integrated frame of powdery tannins and nice acidity integration. A long finish then had a little spice, earth and mineral nestling amidst the wine's blue fruited notes. This was very nice, but it seems to still be in its adolescence. I would wait another 5-6 years on the one bottle I have in my cellar.
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We had high hopes, but we both feel it was a good bottle, not a great bottle as some have been. Positives include considerable body and depth of fruit flavours (red and black current) and dark chocolate; fine tannin structure, length across the full palate and duration of aftertaste.
The main downside - by the standards of elite South Aust. Shiraz - were a lack of vitality. (Perhaps the acid structure had gone off somewhat?) Also, for us the bitter chocolate finish was a little too bitter.
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Beautiful. Had it with reindeer filet. Almost black in color. Dark forest fruit on the outstanding nose. Sweet. Some mint. You can immidiately smell the quality. Looong finish. Good acid, oak, and still a good amount of tannins. I will have my next bootle in 3 years, and look forward to it.
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Classic Barossa Shiraz. Chocolate spectrum and dark fruits. Tannin structure in place. Is the fruit evolution more advanced than the relaxation of the tannin structure? Maybe not because the color is very black - not brown. This may not get better so try one and check your taste for this stage of its life.
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Fantastic Barossa shiraz and by no means the beast its color implies. Very dark, opaq red. Very expressive nose with intense eucalypt, blueberries, dark chocolate, green olives and meaty notes. Full-bodied but lively with firm, fine-grained tannins, rich, vibrant fruit, a wellcome and unexpected salty minerality note and high acidity. Very long, minty finish. Will improve over the next decade.
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Terrific: alcohol well integrated, luscious black fruits and chocolate, smooth tannins, very good mouthfeel. Far better than our first bottle of this six.
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This is a nice, big wine with similar notes on the nose as the mouth. I am getting methanol/eucalyptus, vanilla and oak. This wine easily has enough left in it to last 10 more years, in my opinion.
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short 30 min decant. Inky and deep. Fruity and beguilingly complex nose of dark ripe fruit, anise, latex and spicy oak. Powerful but not lacking in finesse. Beautiful conk on this. Palate-coating beefy, tangy, fruity and smooth. Medium+ licorice finish. Just starting to hit its window but has years ahead of it. Great vineyard, great vintage, great wine.
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Opaque ruby with medium ruby rim. Very complex nose, full of black fruit (cherries, black berries, even black currants) and complemented by layers of floral, sweet spice, oaky and toast notes. Nose developing - you can see the 2ndary aromas developing, it needs another 3 years to show leathery and meaty notes. Palate is just amazing - layers of fruit complemented by sweet spice, oak and even mineral notes - tar, earth. Ripeness notes indicates this was from a very good vintage. Structure fit to support long-term ageing, tannins are medium (+) and still developing, medium (+) acidity and body. Medium (+) alcohol. One of the best Aussies ever tried. Really, really good. Went well with meat balls, however, the wine is absolutely ok to be consumed solo. Cheers!
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30 min decant. Opaque black with a purple rim. A big intitial hit of licorice and black fruit on the nose but quite tight and closed. Lots going on under the surface though. More anise and blackberry on the attack with a nicely judged subtle note of latex and a really surprising and strong savoury soy note coming to the fore mid-palate. Plenty of bacon fat and smoke. Fine oak treatment. Some chocolate trails along on the medium finish. Excellent and complex, although still drinking young. Exceptional finesse for the size and power. Try this with a mature cheddar. Delicious now but lots of improvement to come. Tannins still firm. Better definition than the 2003. To 2020+? 50+4+12+18+8 = 92
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Deep dark red, with sediment Anise, nettles, cucumber pickles and eucalyptus on the nose Full-bodies and very tannic, which to a certain degree is overwhelming the fruit on the palate. Good length
Good wine with great potential, but needs some years to develop
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Popped and poured, nice meaty dark fruits, tannins nicely balanced, nice spice and caramel notes, reasonably long finish, will benifit from more cellar time
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Excellent. Over an evening of sampling, steaks and deserts, this was by far the favorite amongst all who drank it. Deep red in color, it was a bit hot immediately upon opening, but settled down nicely within an hour without benefit of decanting. Very big up front, but not overly spiced. I agree with the prior note that this one will definitely get better over time, but is drinking beautifully right now. Dark fruit up front, nicely oaked with a bit of cinnamon-vanilla and perhaps a hint of anise. Am definitely buying more for keeping.
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A dark, full-bodied wine which is still in a youthful state. It has a lot of potential to become a classic shiraz but is currently a bit too aggressive for my taste. Will definitely develop favorably during the next 3-5 years.
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12/2/2023 - Jrb72 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red and still surprisingly powerful wine, with fruit driven palate still evident and nose of cedar and touch of olives. Lovely wine but feel it’s starting to fade so wouldn’t hold much longer.
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4/7/2023 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 95 Points
Archetypal Barossa Shiraz.
Still a terrific wine at age 21!
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1/29/2023 - Andrew67 Likes this wine:
Just lovely. I agree with some other notes that it is fully developed now, but I saw no sign of fading yet. I'd say you could keep it for a while yet - as I intend to with my remaining bottles.
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12/21/2021 - thomaslangberg wrote: 93 Points
Kompakt och svulligt vin, anar begynnande russintoner. Mycket gott och hög klunkabilitet. Ska dricka upp resten inom några år.
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11/5/2021 - prism wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for three hours. A mix of berry notes, with a hint of black olive. Just at the edge; drink now for maximum pleasure.
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9/3/2021 - murphsmurf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Forgot to take notes. Decanted 2 hours before serving. Quintessential Shiraz paired with roast leg of lamb. Cork was in excellent condition - extracted with a screw pull - I’ve cellared this for the last 14 years in good conditions.
I would drink remaining ones soon - it was fully developed and seemed to be just at the start of fading.
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5/8/2021 - mike410 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice shiraz. Still lots of years left.
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1/25/2021 - RobertLA wrote:
Superb wine, beautiful fruit with integrated Tannins. Unbelievable length. Wine is drinking perfectly now and is by far the best Stonewell that I’ve had.
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1/24/2021 - deBare Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've been meaning to open this wine for a while but a family occasion seemed like the right time. I served it slightly chilled with minimal decanting. The ruby colours looked great in the glasses. There was heavy sediment and the cork snapped halfway out so it was definitely time. It had notes of blackberry and mushroom with complex tases of like black currant, blackberry, mushroom, black pepper and stoniness. The medium body with a long finish and high acidity paired well with the tenderloins. I would see it's probably time to drink up now since it started losing its edge with too much time out of the bottle.
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11/23/2020 - prism wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was in perfect condition, and the flavors beautifully blended. A nice undertone of orange, chocolate, and fig.
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9/9/2020 - mphatic Likes this wine:
Cork, 14.5% alc. Pliable cork in good condition; only wetted at the end.
Deep red colour with some signs of bricking. Very blocky at first on the nose, but with airing it opens up to reveal its perfumed, complex nuances. Dark soy sauce, concentrated blueberry, blackberry, ink, menthol, dusty cedar cupboard, chocolate, and vanilla.
Rich palate with some gloss, but not overdone. Very fine but plentiful tannins that pull right through the finish. There is a Cabernet-like autumnal leaf note that builds intrigue.
Opinion: Solid Barossa Shiraz. This would pair nicely with rich Chinese fried noodle dishes. Good drinking now but could further develop over the next few years. Next bottle in 2023.
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10/23/2019 - smahk wrote: 91 Points
Color: deep dark purple
Nose: wet stone fig plum
Taste: plum, anise, black fruit, vanilla and eucalyptus
This is in a sweet spot right now - dense, spicy with integrated fruit and soft lingering finish. This is no Aussie fruit bomb - the years have mellowed and made this wine sumptuous without a slap in the face.
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10/26/2018 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Drank this at a wine dinner at Chao Shan Cuisine last night with a group of wine drinkers. Theme of the evening: Australia Shiraz.
Dark purple in colour. Another serious wine in the line-up; slightly cool and restrained, moderated in style rather than over-the-top. Dark plums, dark chocolates, expresso and a touch of mint. Well structured, well crafted and well made.
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6/9/2018 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Looking at my previous notes, this is a wine that is definitely on an up curve. It was drinking so well - everyone enjoyed it enormously. In my last note I said this was a typical Barossa shiraz, but I'm changing my mind. Yes the flavour profile is very Barossa, but it is nicely refined, and in that dimension at least, not typical of the region. I have 3 bottles left and my aim is to drink the last one @ 25 years old. Got to plan it out from here.
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5/19/2018 - kwattro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Given its age and my storing condition, this bottle has held up well. I reckon it still have at least 3 years and longer if stored well.
Scent of stewed fruit, dark cherry. Very closed straight out of the bottle, a couple of hours in a decanter helped greatly in revealing the gentle giant - the palate was covered in dark chocolate, strong black tea and finished with a dollop of bulky fruity tannin. I'm happy.
Will open the next bottle in couple of years time.
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4/13/2018 - scottpath@live.com wrote: flawed
Corked!
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3/30/2018 - prism wrote: flawed
In 2015, I had bottle that was quite nice; packed with fruit. This bottle was the most corked wine I have ever tasted. And I have tasted a few.
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1/8/2018 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Superb full bodied Shiraz. Has aged very well. Tannic and very Barossa.
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2/4/2017 - chatters wrote:
Old School Aussie Shiraz with age (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Vanilla, cream very slight oxidation, leathery over black berry fruits and spice. Juicy and, in this line up, almost fleshy with slightly tart blackberry. Hmm.
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1/29/2017 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Dark; initially plenty of menthol (blows off) & bold black fruits, later hint of morello cherry & coffee grinds; muscular, chewy, dense plush fruit, full bodied; unapologetic, power-packed finish. Very long, this should be going strong in a decade's time.
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12/19/2016 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is definitely getting better with age. Nicely balanced with great length. Typical Barossa shiraz with rich fruits, offset by fresh acidity and refined tannins. There are no signs of ageing, at least in this bottle, so in my view many years of enjoyment ahead.
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10/1/2016 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Full and rich. Delicious
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1/23/2016 - Dopas wrote: 85 Points
Smaller than expected even with big sediment and brownish color it had artificial nose that a slowly disappeared when decanting. Very fruity but somehow closed and not what I expected from a stonewell. Almost seemed overdue. Let's hope an additional day will help.
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10/31/2015 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Still youthful and bright. This wine has great length and structure, with good acidity balancing the red and black fruits. Will definitely continue to improve for a while.
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2/7/2015 - prism wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes: deep, packed with fruit.
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5/4/2014 - Cgallivan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely a powerhouse! Tons of muscle coated with dark chocolate...showing a length that could go another 10
Great start, lots of chocolate coated dark fruit and not much spice, but a great length mid palate that turns to silk on the 60 second finish..
Where can I get more?
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1/20/2014 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
Dark chocolate , serious black plums and black currants with some smoky licourice and tar. However , v smooth restraint yet structured as a barista should be. But classic with power without being ott. Some incense and sandalwood oak as well.
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1/18/2014 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Martin's Birthday Dinner aka Shiraz Night (Sixty 40, Rochester Mall, Singapore): Like the 2001 Jim Barry Armagh that preceded it, this was opened for some 5 hours before service. However, while the former wine seemed advanced and drank beautifully, this still had a sense that its best years are some way ahead of it. I liked the nose. It was rather sweeter and more primary than the other wines, but was certainly not over-the-top with its deep aromas of dark cherries, blackberries tossed together with a bit of spice and some slightly green bits of eucalyptus and menthol. Nice. Like the nose the palate was also the biggest amongst the wines - we all had no problem identifying it as a Barossa. It had deep flavours of blueberries and plums still showing a primary edge to them, but this was certainly well-crafted, with a good sense of structure and balance lent to it by a really well-integrated frame of powdery tannins and nice acidity integration. A long finish then had a little spice, earth and mineral nestling amidst the wine's blue fruited notes. This was very nice, but it seems to still be in its adolescence. I would wait another 5-6 years on the one bottle I have in my cellar.
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3/9/2013 - awbaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich, almost port-like. Great dark colour. Still youthful with plenty of years on it.
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3/8/2013 - Softie wrote: 90 Points
Drunk last night. Notes from memory.
We had high hopes, but we both feel it was a good bottle, not a great bottle as some have been. Positives include considerable body and depth of fruit flavours (red and black current) and dark chocolate; fine tannin structure, length across the full palate and duration of aftertaste.
The main downside - by the standards of elite South Aust. Shiraz - were a lack of vitality. (Perhaps the acid structure had gone off somewhat?) Also, for us the bitter chocolate finish was a little too bitter.
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12/26/2012 - pdernier wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful. Had it with reindeer filet. Almost black in color. Dark forest fruit on the outstanding nose. Sweet. Some mint. You can immidiately smell the quality. Looong finish. Good acid, oak, and still a good amount of tannins. I will have my next bootle in 3 years, and look forward to it.
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4/5/2012 - Softie wrote: 93 Points
Classic Barossa Shiraz. Chocolate spectrum and dark fruits. Tannin structure in place. Is the fruit evolution more advanced than the relaxation of the tannin structure? Maybe not because the color is very black - not brown. This may not get better so try one and check your taste for this stage of its life.
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12/31/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic Barossa shiraz and by no means the beast its color implies. Very dark, opaq red. Very expressive nose with intense eucalypt, blueberries, dark chocolate, green olives and meaty notes. Full-bodied but lively with firm, fine-grained tannins, rich, vibrant fruit, a wellcome and unexpected salty minerality note and high acidity. Very long, minty finish. Will improve over the next decade.
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9/19/2010 - Softie wrote: 93 Points
Terrific: alcohol well integrated, luscious black fruits and chocolate, smooth tannins, very good mouthfeel. Far better than our first bottle of this six.
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2/12/2010 - rbazinet wrote:
This is a nice, big wine with similar notes on the nose as the mouth. I am getting methanol/eucalyptus, vanilla and oak. This wine easily has enough left in it to last 10 more years, in my opinion.
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2/2/2010 - Khamen wrote: 93 Points
short 30 min decant. Inky and deep. Fruity and beguilingly complex nose of dark ripe fruit, anise, latex and spicy oak. Powerful but not lacking in finesse. Beautiful conk on this. Palate-coating beefy, tangy, fruity and smooth. Medium+ licorice finish. Just starting to hit its window but has years ahead of it. Great vineyard, great vintage, great wine.
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12/27/2009 - AN wrote: 94 Points
Opaque ruby with medium ruby rim. Very complex nose, full of black fruit (cherries, black berries, even black currants) and complemented by layers of floral, sweet spice, oaky and toast notes. Nose developing - you can see the 2ndary aromas developing, it needs another 3 years to show leathery and meaty notes. Palate is just amazing - layers of fruit complemented by sweet spice, oak and even mineral notes - tar, earth. Ripeness notes indicates this was from a very good vintage. Structure fit to support long-term ageing, tannins are medium (+) and still developing, medium (+) acidity and body. Medium (+) alcohol. One of the best Aussies ever tried. Really, really good. Went well with meat balls, however, the wine is absolutely ok to be consumed solo. Cheers!
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10/15/2009 - Khamen wrote: 92 Points
30 min decant. Opaque black with a purple rim. A big intitial hit of licorice and black fruit on the nose but quite tight and closed. Lots going on under the surface though. More anise and blackberry on the attack with a nicely judged subtle note of latex and a really surprising and strong savoury soy note coming to the fore mid-palate. Plenty of bacon fat and smoke. Fine oak treatment. Some chocolate trails along on the medium finish. Excellent and complex, although still drinking young. Exceptional finesse for the size and power. Try this with a mature cheddar. Delicious now but lots of improvement to come. Tannins still firm. Better definition than the 2003. To 2020+?
50+4+12+18+8 = 92
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10/14/2009 - admid wrote: 91 Points
Blind taste
Deep dark red, with sediment
Anise, nettles, cucumber pickles and eucalyptus on the nose
Full-bodies and very tannic, which to a certain degree is overwhelming the fruit on the palate.
Good length
Good wine with great potential, but needs some years to develop
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5/24/2009 - Gob wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured, nice meaty dark fruits, tannins nicely balanced, nice spice and caramel notes, reasonably long finish, will benifit from more cellar time
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4/10/2009 - Tony T wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed this bottle even more than the previous one about 4 months ago. However, I still believe it will get even better in 2-3 years.
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2/7/2009 - six sandy feet wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Over an evening of sampling, steaks and deserts, this was by far the favorite amongst all who drank it. Deep red in color, it was a bit hot immediately upon opening, but settled down nicely within an hour without benefit of decanting. Very big up front, but not overly spiced. I agree with the prior note that this one will definitely get better over time, but is drinking beautifully right now. Dark fruit up front, nicely oaked with a bit of cinnamon-vanilla and perhaps a hint of anise. Am definitely buying more for keeping.
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11/28/2008 - Tony T wrote: 91 Points
A dark, full-bodied wine which is still in a youthful state. It has a lot of potential to become a classic shiraz but is currently a bit too aggressive for my taste. Will definitely develop favorably during the next 3-5 years.
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