Shiraz

75% Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale & Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 20% Langhorne Creek Merlot - 5% Eden Valley Shiraz.  This is the flagship wine of this property.  The bottle was gifted to me a couple of years ago, and it got opened at the end of a 1980's Bordeaux tasting which seemed appropriate.  It did not disappoint and held its own in the tasting.  Purple with ruby swirls, ruby at the rim, not much bricking.  On the nose, this is dusty with black cherry fruit and a bit of black pepper.  On the palate, this has some depth with nice layering that is immediately apparent.  Good aci

This is a big, sweet wine.  It will likely be love it or hate it for most people.  For my tastes, it is good but a little goes a long way.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is blackberry pie with some cherries, cedar, and chocolate.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Sweet with blackberry pie, cherry pie, some dark chocolate and just a bit of spice.  This lists 16.5% ABV on the label and though it tastes it, and feels it texturaly (is that a word?), there isn't any heat.  Long, sweet finish.  So, basically, this should be consumed as though one was drinking port.  It will overpower most f

This is an inexpensive bottle from Australia that is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache.  It is the kind of wine that made Australia famous in the 1990's and soon fell out of favor.  This is a very sweet wine that will be popular with people who like that style.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has confectionery sugar, raspberry fruit and red candies.  On the palate, this is candied raspberries.  A bit bitter on the palate.  It is not about depth but rather fruit and imbibing.  Drink now.  

One of the better Shiraz out there.  At 12 years from vintage, this was in a beautiful place.  It is still youthful and will easily go another decade or more.  Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, iodine, black pepper, violets and slight grilled meats. On the palate, this has a lovely texture; glycerin and full bodied but with good acidity that cuts through.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, light tannins and underlying minerality.  Worked well with food.  Nice finish.  Proof that at least some of the huge Shiraz bombs will stand the test of time.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries and black olives.  On the palate, this is very Northern Rhonish.  Black raspberry, nice depth.  Some complexity.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This needs time and there is a chance for upside improvement.  Right now it is a big, energetic young wine.  It will need bigger (meaty) to pair with.

Purple in color.  The nose is very tight.  With air, black raspberry jam and some spice.  On the palate, this has a lot of black raspberry fruit but the finish is a bit clipped.  Soft texture.  OK finish.  This is a very solid wine, but it is having some trouble ageing.  It retailed for $70 on release and was probably a bit better back then.  Perhaps some slow airing will give it some time to come together.  It needs big meat dishes for food pairings.  

Inky purple in color and shiny bright.  The nose has clay and black raspberries.  On the palate, this is tight but with air, it unwinds in the glass.  Black raspberry fruit.  Slight tannins.  Nice finish.  Needs bigger foods.  This retails for $55.  It needs a couple more years to settle down or give it a few years of a decant.  

Purple in color but a bit flat, ruby at the rim.  The nose is tight at first, then shows a bit of aquarium notes.  To me this seems to be from extended shelving in a retail setting (not sure why).  On the palate, I found this a bit tired but a nice wine.  Black raspberry fruit.  Good balance.  OK finish.  To me, this seemed like a good wine if a bit past prime.  But, this was consumed as part of a larger blind tasting of Australian Shiraz.  Whereas, I may have found it lacking a bit, the group thought it was their Wine of the Night including two first and one second place votes.  Wine is su

Inky purple in color, shiny and bright.  The nose has black raspberries and clay.  Someone mentioned butterscotch and that works as well.  On the palate, this has lots of black raspberry fruit and a "sandpaper" taste, if that makes sense.  Good finish.  Overall, this has a lot of fruit and oak, but if that is ok with you, this is a nice wine.  It needs bigger foods to pair with.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose is very tight on this.  With time, blueberries and black raspberries with slight saw dust notes.  On the palate, this has plums and black raspberries.  Very smooth with little tannins.  Good balance.  Easy drinking.  This retails for $20 and is a good value and nice for parties.  It would work with bigger or meat based dishes.