Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-black in color, the 2004 Shiraz 9 shows off a very ripe and rich nose loaded with prunes and grilled duck notes alongside touches of coffee, figs and mincemeat. Ripe, rich and spicy, it is concentrated, over-ripe and a little hard in the mouth and finishes long with big, bold, layered and spicy flavors.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and generous, with a spicy mouthful of blackberry, huckleberry and white pepper flavors that linger effortlessly on the racy finish.
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.