Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Henry’s Drive Reserve Shiraz is a bit more expressive aromatically with aromas of incense, Asian spices, bacon, and blueberry. Rich on the palate, it is already displaying some complexity, good depth of flavor, and a pure finish. Give it 2-3 years and drink it from 2012 to 2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
This full-bodied, fleshy Shiraz weighs in at a hefty 16% alcohol, but don’t let that put you off. For the near term, it’s a delicious bowl of mixed berries dressed up with elegant accents of smoke, toast, vanilla and mocha that hide the alcohol well. Drink now-2015.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and beautifully focused, with currant, blackberry and white pepper flavors coursing past a layer of crisp tannins, lingering on the wide-open finish. Drink now through 2017. 2,400 cases made.
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.