Winemaker Notes
"Firm and focused, offering a juicy core of blueberry and plum flavors that keep singing against refined tannins, with a kiss of sweet oak and a subliminal level of acidity as the finish sails on and on. Drink now through 2016. 450 cases made."
92 Points
Wine Spectator
February 28, 2007
"Medium red-purple; a complex array of aromas and flavours ranging through sweet plum, blackberry, touches of dark chocolate, and spice; fine-grained tannins; Amarone style."
94 Points
James Halliday
Professional Ratings
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.