Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Like the 2003, this is a big, no-holds-barred Shiraz. The 2005 is packed with cassis and blueberry fruit, framed by chocolate and vanilla notes and finishes with plenty of spicy complexity and some slightly rough tannins. Drink 2010–2020. A Top 100 Wines of 2008 Selection.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Opaque purple, it has a fragrant perfume of cedar, pepper, blueberry and blackberry. Full-bodied and supple-textured, on the palate the wine is nicely balanced with excellent depth, well-concealed tannin, and a 45-second finish. This elegant effort will evolve with another 4-6 years of bottle age.
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Wine Spectator
Firm in texture, this full-bodied red has lively acidity balancing chewy plum and blackberry flavors. Hints at grapefruit peel as the finish lingers beautifully. Best after 2008. 650 cases imported.
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.