Shiraz

This is the top wine from this producer and in a recent blind tasting of Barossa Shiraz it was a virtual unanimous wine of the night.  Inky purple in color, op0aque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight black olive, and a hint of clay.  On the palate, this is bright, not jammy, and delicious.  Notes of black raspberries, with some coffee grounds and a hint of spice.  Light tannins.  Long finish.  At age 13, this seems younger, and should go another twenty years.  Great on its own, this should work well with Cassoulet.  

Purple in color with ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, clay and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries and slight alcohol note.  14.5% abv.  Drinking well now and should continue for another five to eight years.  Good on its own, this will work with bigger foods or even Meatloaf.  

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, spice and slight cedar.  With air, a slight cocoa note emerges.  On the palate, this is jammy black raspberries.  Very tasty.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with grilled meats.  A burger would be nice.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Sadly, Shiraz from Australia has gone a bit out of style, but there are still some damn good ones.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this seems just a bit shy of maturity.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, some coffee and black pepper.  Long finish.  While this is a big wine, it is not an ooze monster at all.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  This is great on its own and will work well with Lamb Stew.

Nice to get a chance to revisit this with some serious age on it.  The last time I tried it in 2014, it was great but young.  Purple in color, ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, leather and black pepper.  Velvety texture.  This seems fully mature.  Complex.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has black raspberries, some char, a bit of earthy funk and black pepper.  A bit sweet on the finish.  This is everything one wants in a mature Syrah.  Great on its own, this will work better with food.  It would work well with Lamb Curry.  

When Marquis Phillips wines burst onto the scene around the beginning of the century, this was the flagship and quite the divisive wine.  It was a poster child for the big, perhaps overblown style of Aussie Shiraz that was so popular at the time.  Most loved them but many disliked the style.  It was interesting to check in on this 21 years later.  If you loved it then, you will still and vice-versa.  Purple in color with ruby hues.  Mostly clear and bright.  It seems the color has faded a tad in the intervening 21 years.  On the nose, this is fresh and big with black raspberries, black oliv

This is a very nice Syrah from northeast Spain (the D.O. of Somontano).  It is a unique take that is well worth exploring especially for the price.  Deep garnet in color with a ruby rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, some black raspberries, with slight dried floral notes and a hint of char/graphite.  Medium bodied.  15%abv.  On the palate, the black cherries dominate with underlying minerality.  Very tasty.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  If pressed, this has some similarities to a St.

This is 100% Shiraz from Adelaide in Australia.  It is a single vineyard wine and it is stunning.  There was a time this was an affordable bottle and less expensive alternative to Grange, but both have seen steep escalation of their pricing.  Still, once in a while, this is doable.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, chocolate, black olives, leather and nutmeg.  Full bodied.  Great vibrant texture.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is complex and also delicious.  Black raspberry fruit with layers of fruit, earth and char.  Long finish.  Thi

This is a blend of 72% Shiraz, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and slight cedar.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there is a lot of black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  Some alcohol is noticeable.  It is very tasty but somewhat one dimensional.  A throw-back to the Aussie Shiraz of twenty years ago.  Good value if you like this style.  

It has been a long  time since I tried a bottle of this.  Back in the day, this wine was the poster child, good or bad, for the high alcohol, full throttle Australian Shiraz.  Lots of people said they would not age, but the fact is, if you liked that style then and still like it, it has aged fine.  This was the last vintage of this that I bought.  At age 11 years from vintage it tastes how I remembered.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is big with some alcohol but also black raspberries, cassis, roasted meats and herbs and slight prune.  Full bodied.  The first sip packs a wal