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Australian Shiraz: Tasting, September 2004
Three years on from the last tasting of Australian Shiraz, and we have gathered together here another collection of top names from this continent. As always it was a small tasting, so no doubt there are many wines that should have been included but weren't; nevertheless, this was still an excellent opportunity to obtain a glimpse of what can be achieved with this iconic variety.
The tasting featured wines mostly from a number of South Australian regions, including Barossa and McLaren Vale, both of which have a fine heritage of Shiraz table wine production. Alongside these two classics, however, there were also examples from the Clare and Eden Valleys, as well as one from Heathcote in Victoria, from the skilled Ron Laughton of Jasper Hill. (8/9/04)
Australian Shiraz - Tasting Notes
Tasted in September 2004. Click
to locate
stockists.
Elderton Shiraz (Barossa, South Australia) 1994: A dark, dense core
but a wide, red, maturing rim. Meaty, animalistic nose, stale coffee and toffee.
Opens out to reveal saddle leather and redcurrant jelly character. Full, very
spicy tannins on hte midpalate. A touch creamy. Dark, brawny fruit. A little
sweetness on the finish. Really rounded, leathery, pastille-like fruit. Good.
Drink over the next five years. 15/20
Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz (McLaren Vale, South Australia) 1994: Dark core
fading to a pink rim. Dark, macerated fruit, sweet blackcurrant conserve, with
perfumed violets on the nose. Round, supple, ripe tannins and a little spice.
Good sense of extract. Full, creamy towards the finish. Balanced. 15/20
Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock (Heathcote, Victoria) 1994:
Dark core fading a little at the rim. Brooding, crushed blackberry fruit nose.
Oak here too, sweet yet sweaty and leathery. Exotic spices. The palate is pure,
focussed and balanced, with concentration and structure showing on the
midpalate. Very supple and fluid ripe and spicy. Brilliant quality. Needs five
years. Showing much better than my last tasting. 17+/20
Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz (Clare Valley, South Australia) 1994:
Dark. Serious, dense, mint and dark chocolate nose, with sweet blackcurrant
pastille character and a little roasted herb. Creamy, very ripe, supple and
succulent. More mint and chocolate here. Super ripe tannins with a spicy, exotic
quality. Vibrant and super quality. Showing much more classic style than my last
tasting. Needs five years yet. 17+/20
Mountadam Patriarche (Eden Valley, South Australia) 1994: Vibrant hue.
Animal, horse manure, metallic nose suggestive of Brett. But also piles of
classic eucalyptus alongside the fruit. Rounded. Creamy. Balanced. Supple
tannins but with a firm bite. Plenty of fruit still. Really very good. Drink
over the next five years. 16/20
Tatachilla Foundation Shiraz (McLaren Vale, South Australia) 1994: Dense
colour out to the rim. Obvious sweet, burnt toffee oak on the nose. The palate
is quite concentrated, with sweet raspberry fruit, but also smoky toffee oak.
Ripe, supple tannins. Ready now. 16/20
Leasingham Classic Clare (Clare Valley, South Australia) 1994: Pure,
glossy colour. A dense, concentrate and exotic nose. Quite incredible, with
eucalyptus, beetroot, pickling spices and soot. Very complex. An elegant and
concentrated palate. Still some tannins but they are supple and ripe. Warm, rounded,
very welcoming and voluptuous. Delicious exotic finish. Strawberry notes.
Impressive finish. Extraordinarily good quality. So lovely it can be drunk now,
but will certainly improve for some time in the cellar. 18.5+/20
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