Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The enormously endowed, ostentatious, yet captivating 2002 Shiraz 9 is a sexy effort. There are 1,500 cases of this blockbuster. Its inky plum/purple color is followed by sumptuous aromas of creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, smoked meats, and toasty American oak (from aging in 100% new American barrels). Opulent, viscous, and thick, this succulent Shiraz is meant to offer immediate appeal.
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Wine Spectator
Ultraripe and concentrated, densely packed with black cherry, dried currant, eucalyptus and cedar flavors that crowd the finish with so much intensity that it needs time to sort them all out.
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.