Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2002 Shiraz Reserve tastes like a dry vintage port. It may be too much for those with a European palate (but then, I’m a Francophile with a European-styled palate and I loved it). It is flamboyant, extraordinarily rich, full-bodied, and intense, with gobs of blackberry and currant fruit backed up by extravagant levels of glycerin. The oak is largely concealed by the magnificent wealth of fruit. This is classic Australian Shiraz at its finest and is not duplicated anywhere else in the world, so enjoy it for what it is.
Though Syrah originated in the Rhône Valley of France, Australia is home to the oldest Syrah (called Shiraz here) vines on the planet. Found in Australia’s Barossa Valley, where phylloxera has never threated viticulture, these ancient vines are between 140 to 175 years old!
Having brought fame and merit to the country’s wine scene since the early 1950s, namely via the debut of Penfolds Grange, today Syrah (Shiraz) claims rank as the most widely planted grape in Australia. In fact, the amount of land dedicated to Shiraz in Australia is now almost equivalent to what it is in France. Australian Shiraz has its own personality with flavors and aromas of intense blackberry, fruitcake, menthol, tobacco leaf and umami. Conveniently one can find great Australian Shiraz at a variety of price points but the very best will be dense, gloriously complex and capable of long aging.