This has improved immensely in the bottle. No longer the big bruiser, this has developed into a well integrated, Heathcote. Not as much stank as I would expect. Suckling went wild with his review for this wine - but it didn't put me off! Looking forward to my other bottles.
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First Wednesday Wine Club (Napoli in Bocca, Haberfield): Served blind. slightly oxidised, blackberry, wet cardboard, cream, vanilla, a little plain chocolate, tends to prune with time. Touches of wet cardboard, meaty, peppery, massive drying chewy tannins, sour acidity. Meh. I guessed Old Aussie shiraz nose but massive tannins, Victoria, Yarra? 2005?
8/10 - Refer to prior note. Enjoyed it lots, not your typical Australian shiraz. Someone at dinner said it reminded them of a Brunello. Someone else guessed it was a Cab Sauv.
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On opening, a bit of sour cherry which dissipated after some time in the glass. Acidity with a bit of dryness. Dark fruits and spicy on the palate. A bit of plum and medium bodied.
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I agree it’s not a 100 point wine by any stretch of the imagination, but very good after it opened up. (Decanted for about 2 hours.) Beautiful lush fruit with lots of layers and complexity.
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Nice - but definitely not a 100 point wine. Love McCabe's note below. Suckling was definitely suckling something when he wrote his review, but we all know that 100 points from Suckling is like 90-91 points from WS. Anyway, I'd purchase this wine for no more than $30.
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Inky purple, opaque; smoked meat, game, cassis, blackberry jam, earth, herbs; plummy, berry, peppery, creamy, full body, good acidity, good balance, firm ripe tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 1 hr. Ripe with typical smoked meat and peppery notes. Well-balanced but lacking complexity and charm for a shiraz this price.
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This has a dry ash tone that stayes pronounced, with a lot of white pepper. Not my style really. Suckling must have been smoking something really great at the time to give this a hundred points. It's polished, clean, direct and precise but lacks charm or flamboyance. Pleasant enough, and might fare better over time but nothing too special. The finish does linger, but still..
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Lovely nose of raspberry dark chocolate and a touch of cola. Elegant, but ripe and pure fruit, just starting to transit to more mature notes of leather and earth. Still a touch of grip in the tannins, with nice mineral feel. Slightly in an in-between stage at this moment, having tried these wines fully mature it's well worth the wait. Their elegant, maybe lighter style, red fruits marry so well into the mature wine with great tertiary flavours. Best from +10 years on vintage.
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Love the Heathcotes generally. This is atypical at the moment - a big bruiser of a wine. Not really ready. Should be left another few years before trying again. However, good deep fruit and big tannins to keep us going into the future.
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Deep intense blackberry fruit on the nose with a touch of vanilla. Flattering and delicious. A little bonfire and complex young notes. Fresh and elegant blackberry fruit on the palate but it really feels very young. There is also a little burnt dirt, iron, black olives and eucalyptus. Sophisticated with an excellent structure. However it is still harsh and very young!
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8.5/10 - Pop and poured, still very young but already a great wine. Lovely black cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, and and charcoal/pencil lead. Tannins are velvet smooth and sweet. Acidity is good and matches up well against all the flavours and the rather thick layer of tannins. The tannins, while heavy, were never jarring and felt like a heavy velvet cloak cloaking the beauty beneath. Cellaring the rest but it will be hard to resist. Thank goodness for the 03s in the meanwhile.
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10x20 Victorian Tasting (Customs House, Sydney, Australia): A dense and complex nose of blackberry, earth, liquorice as well as kirsch, violets and some pepper. The palate is brooding, rich, detailed and intense - it is given a lift by bright acid and kept from being over the top by the structure. This needs some serious time in bottle to be its best, 7-8 years at least.
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The first of 3 bottles I have bought and am looking forward to discovering over the years. Very elegant for a young wine. Dark berries, cassis and plum, some dark chocolate with a hint if tobacco. Dusty, chalky tannins, but so very fine they're almost not there. Looking forward to this over the years.
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Opened too young so this was v tight. Lots of spiced black fruits with dark roast and rump roast with a big dose of black peppers. Dark and ink plums. Needs lots more time.
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Mega-Pointer Dinner (Yuan Wei Deep-Sea Garoupa, Serangoon Road): This was very, very young, but after sitting in an opened bottle for half a day, it actually showed quite nicely. It had a rich, thick nose, full of deep plum, blackberry and cassis aromas patted down with some earth and eucalyptus notes. It shared some similarities to the Fox Creek Reserve drank alongside, but was rather tighter, more primary, maybe more indistinct given its youth. The palate had the rich, viscous weight that Jasper Hills often show, but it was very well-balanced by gobs of juicy acidity that suffused its ripe, deeply fruited flavours of black plums and prunes, blackberries and cassis and some dark cherry chocolates. There was a bit of savoury earth in there somewhere, but such was the primacy of the fruit that it remained rather buried. All in all, this had tremendous weight and complexity, great velvety depth and superb length, all presented in a rather suave, velvety packaged. Super-young, but very solid, with a lot going on. Like the other two Shirazes on show, this was also very nicely balanced. James Suckling 100 points. I am certainly not a perfect score on this one, nowhere near, but this was impressive stuff which should age very well indeed.
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This is a beautiful, unforced wine aiming for elegance. Medium ruby color. Somewhat restrained and shows no signs of New World clichés: no strong vanilla/mocha oak, no over-ripeness. Neither is it obviously Aussie. The nose exhibits wonderfully fresh cherry and plum, rather in the red berry spectrum (or red - dark), with subtle black pepper, cinnamon, coriander seed spiciness. Maybe a hint of orange as well. Pretty, but not the most complex (yet?). On the palate it's dry, vivid, with higher acidity that seems natural. Really nice density on the mid-palate, especially because it is not an extracted style; rather unforced, has an almost light or Pinot-ish touch. Medium plus body, no alcoholic heat (perfectly ripe at 14% ABV). Tannins are firmish at the end, and for me, somewhat unusual for a syrah: they have a slight Nebbiolo/sandpaper feel to them. Real personality here, a lovely wine, but currently lacks some complexity and intensity for the perfect mark (James Suckling 100 points), though can improve with age. Very young, hold.
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Voyager Estate Masterclass 2011: Mint, green over red and black fruit, green peppercorns over slight rubber/wet cardboard notes. Little wet, light tight, little hot. Ugh.
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9/8/2020 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has improved immensely in the bottle. No longer the big bruiser, this has developed into a well integrated, Heathcote. Not as much stank as I would expect. Suckling went wild with his review for this wine - but it didn't put me off! Looking forward to my other bottles.
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9/2/2020 - chatters wrote:
First Wednesday Wine Club (Napoli in Bocca, Haberfield): Served blind.
slightly oxidised, blackberry, wet cardboard, cream, vanilla, a little plain chocolate, tends to prune with time. Touches of wet cardboard, meaty, peppery, massive drying chewy tannins, sour acidity. Meh.
I guessed Old Aussie shiraz nose but massive tannins, Victoria, Yarra? 2005?
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6/15/2020 - darren81 Likes this wine:
8/10 - Refer to prior note. Enjoyed it lots, not your typical Australian shiraz. Someone at dinner said it reminded them of a Brunello. Someone else guessed it was a Cab Sauv.
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5/17/2020 - bethel31 Likes this wine: 91 Points
On opening, a bit of sour cherry which dissipated after some time in the glass. Acidity with a bit of dryness. Dark fruits and spicy on the palate. A bit of plum and medium bodied.
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2/3/2020 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Restrained fruit, for many it will seem underripe. Blackberry, white pepper, cloves. Good length and balance. Will last for ages.
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3/16/2019 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
I agree it’s not a 100 point wine by any stretch of the imagination, but very good after it opened up. (Decanted for about 2 hours.) Beautiful lush fruit with lots of layers and complexity.
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3/14/2018 - Lockareff wrote: 90 Points
Nice - but definitely not a 100 point wine. Love McCabe's note below. Suckling was definitely suckling something when he wrote his review, but we all know that 100 points from Suckling is like 90-91 points from WS. Anyway, I'd purchase this wine for no more than $30.
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11/13/2017 - ColinR wrote: 92 Points
Inky purple, opaque; smoked meat, game, cassis, blackberry jam, earth, herbs; plummy, berry, peppery, creamy, full body, good acidity, good balance, firm ripe tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 1 hr. Ripe with typical smoked meat and peppery notes. Well-balanced but lacking complexity and charm for a shiraz this price.
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11/19/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
This has a dry ash tone that stayes pronounced, with a lot of white pepper. Not my style really. Suckling must have been smoking something really great at the time to give this a hundred points. It's polished, clean, direct and precise but lacks charm or flamboyance. Pleasant enough, and might fare better over time but nothing too special. The finish does linger, but still..
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11/10/2016 - PaulHig wrote: 93 Points
Lovely nose of raspberry dark chocolate and a touch of cola. Elegant, but ripe and pure fruit, just starting to transit to more mature notes of leather and earth. Still a touch of grip in the tannins, with nice mineral feel.
Slightly in an in-between stage at this moment, having tried these wines fully mature it's well worth the wait. Their elegant, maybe lighter style, red fruits marry so well into the mature wine with great tertiary flavours. Best from +10 years on vintage.
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7/26/2015 - sethboy23 wrote: 92 Points
drinking well. not a huge upside
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5/19/2015 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love the Heathcotes generally. This is atypical at the moment - a big bruiser of a wine. Not really ready. Should be left another few years before trying again. However, good deep fruit and big tannins to keep us going into the future.
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2/28/2015 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
A Matter of Taste: London Edition (Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea): Lots of dark fruit, spice and smoke. Palate still has a lot of tannins.
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9/18/2014 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
touch medicinal on the nose, super ripe fruit, smoky
tastes elegant though, strawbs, supple
still quite a bit of tannin
meaty
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5/7/2013 - Javatrader wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Earthy, minty, soy sauce
Pepper, tobacco, earthy undertones, a bit boring
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11/19/2012 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Deep intense blackberry fruit on the nose with a touch of vanilla. Flattering and delicious. A little bonfire and complex young notes.
Fresh and elegant blackberry fruit on the palate but it really feels very young. There is also a little burnt dirt, iron, black olives and eucalyptus.
Sophisticated with an excellent structure. However it is still harsh and very young!
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10/19/2012 - darren81 wrote:
8.5/10 - Pop and poured, still very young but already a great wine. Lovely black cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, and and charcoal/pencil lead. Tannins are velvet smooth and sweet. Acidity is good and matches up well against all the flavours and the rather thick layer of tannins. The tannins, while heavy, were never jarring and felt like a heavy velvet cloak cloaking the beauty beneath. Cellaring the rest but it will be hard to resist. Thank goodness for the 03s in the meanwhile.
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8/22/2012 - CamWheeler Likes this wine: 92 Points
10x20 Victorian Tasting (Customs House, Sydney, Australia): A dense and complex nose of blackberry, earth, liquorice as well as kirsch, violets and some pepper. The palate is brooding, rich, detailed and intense - it is given a lift by bright acid and kept from being over the top by the structure. This needs some serious time in bottle to be its best, 7-8 years at least.
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5/23/2012 - deanmillson wrote: 93 Points
The first of 3 bottles I have bought and am looking forward to discovering over the years. Very elegant for a young wine. Dark berries, cassis and plum, some dark chocolate with a hint if tobacco. Dusty, chalky tannins, but so very fine they're almost not there. Looking forward to this over the years.
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3/20/2012 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Opened too young so this was v tight. Lots of spiced black fruits with dark roast and rump roast with a big dose of black peppers. Dark and ink plums. Needs lots more time.
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3/17/2012 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Mega-Pointer Dinner (Yuan Wei Deep-Sea Garoupa, Serangoon Road): This was very, very young, but after sitting in an opened bottle for half a day, it actually showed quite nicely. It had a rich, thick nose, full of deep plum, blackberry and cassis aromas patted down with some earth and eucalyptus notes. It shared some similarities to the Fox Creek Reserve drank alongside, but was rather tighter, more primary, maybe more indistinct given its youth. The palate had the rich, viscous weight that Jasper Hills often show, but it was very well-balanced by gobs of juicy acidity that suffused its ripe, deeply fruited flavours of black plums and prunes, blackberries and cassis and some dark cherry chocolates. There was a bit of savoury earth in there somewhere, but such was the primacy of the fruit that it remained rather buried. All in all, this had tremendous weight and complexity, great velvety depth and superb length, all presented in a rather suave, velvety packaged. Super-young, but very solid, with a lot going on. Like the other two Shirazes on show, this was also very nicely balanced. James Suckling 100 points. I am certainly not a perfect score on this one, nowhere near, but this was impressive stuff which should age very well indeed.
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12/22/2011 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a beautiful, unforced wine aiming for elegance. Medium ruby color. Somewhat restrained and shows no signs of New World clichés: no strong vanilla/mocha oak, no over-ripeness. Neither is it obviously Aussie. The nose exhibits wonderfully fresh cherry and plum, rather in the red berry spectrum (or red - dark), with subtle black pepper, cinnamon, coriander seed spiciness. Maybe a hint of orange as well. Pretty, but not the most complex (yet?). On the palate it's dry, vivid, with higher acidity that seems natural. Really nice density on the mid-palate, especially because it is not an extracted style; rather unforced, has an almost light or Pinot-ish touch. Medium plus body, no alcoholic heat (perfectly ripe at 14% ABV). Tannins are firmish at the end, and for me, somewhat unusual for a syrah: they have a slight Nebbiolo/sandpaper feel to them. Real personality here, a lovely wine, but currently lacks some complexity and intensity for the perfect mark (James Suckling 100 points), though can improve with age. Very young, hold.
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8/9/2011 - chatters wrote:
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2011: Mint, green over red and black fruit, green peppercorns over slight rubber/wet cardboard notes. Little wet, light tight, little hot. Ugh.
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