Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Extremely dark in color, peppery in flavor, with exotic spice overtones to the blackberry and plum fruit, all of which lingers on the fine-grained finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2000 Shiraz Springflat (2,200 cases of 100% Shiraz with 15.9% alcohol) was aged 17 months in American oak. It reveals lavish wood, abundant floral and black fruit characteristics intermixed with pepper and earth, and a spicy, fruity, sweet personality.
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.