Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The impressive 2001 Syrah Brookmans Vineyard reveals a saturated blue/purple color as well as gorgeous aromas of smoke, licorice, acacia flowers, and black fruits. Full-bodied and dense, with nearly the volume and palate persistence of the 2002, this killer Syrah should age effortlessly for 20 years.
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Wine Spectator
Stylish, round and generous, a supple mouthful of licorice-scented currant, plum and cream flavors, all beautifully modulated, yet the finish lasts and lasts, echoing the fruit and spice enticingly.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.