Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aussie Shirazes have swept across the United States over the last decade, but many brands seem to have lost the quality edge that made them successful. Let's hope the same doesn't happen to this wine, which is only in its third vintage. It displays all the things we love about Shiraz—sweet blackberry fruit, lashings of vanilla oak and a lush, velvety texture. Bottlings like this are proof that importer Dan Phillips isn't just about finding expensive microproduction wines, but that he also has an eye for value.
Best Buy -
Wine Spectator
Smooth and generous, an inviting red that's plump with black cherry, blackberry and exotic spice flavors, hinting at dark chocolate as the flavors persist on the fine-grained finish. Outstanding.
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.