Winemaker Notes
Inviting aromas of dark berries, sweet spices and forest floor. The palate is welcoming with generous flavors of black cherry, dusted chocolate and plum. It evolves beautifully in the glass, a wonderfully textured wine that finishes on a savory note.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has rich red-plum and berry-pastry aromas that lead to a palate defined by fluffy, bright tannins that carry red-plum flavors. There’s rich fruit on offer here.
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Wine Spectator
Delivers generous and appealing wild blackberry and black currant flavors, with accents of dark chocolate, a whiff of bourbon, and fresh herbal notes on the finish. This is appealing for its complexity and harmonious finish. Drink now through 2040.
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Wine Enthusiast
Clare Valley's comparatively cool climate is on show in this Shiraz. Make no mistake, it's still a ripe, full-figured wine, but there's added spice and refreshment. Brambly blackberries and blueberries combine with notes of mocha, wintery spice, sap and other woodsy nuances. The palate is powerful yet balanced with quite a prominent line of chalky, spicy tannins and lifted acidity. Give this time in decanter if drinking now, and plenty of protein, too.
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.