The Wine Companion
Stephen Tanzer
The Wine Advocate
Wine Specator Online
The Steading - The Wine Companion (James Halliday)
2008
Incredibly ripe and sweet fruited bouquet and palate, showing Grenache's love for the heat; soft and ripe, warm and fleshy, with a splash of savoury spice to conclude. Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro.
Drink:
2013 |
Date Tasted:
Jan 11
2007
Clear colour, with some expected development; a mix of contrasting ripe Turkish Delight and distinctly earthy/savoury components; in traditional Barossa Valley mode. Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro.
Drink:
2017 |
Date Tasted:
Aug 10
2006
Very light colour; typical Barossa Valley Rhône blend dominated by grenache (60%) with soft, gently ripe fruit and minimal tannins. Grenache/Mataro/Shiraz. Cork. 14.5% alc.
Drink:
2014 |
Date Tasted:
Jul 08
2005
Ultra-fragrant, ultra-juicy aromas; a cupboard of spices join in on the palate; subtle tannins; southern Rhône-style.
Drink:
2013
Date Tasted:
Aug 07
2004
Typical raspberry/cherry jam flavours ex grenache, but given more complexity by the other components; fine, gentle, savoury tannins. Grenache/Mataro/Shiraz. 14.5% alc.
Drink:
2010 |
Date Tasted:
Oct 06
2003
Relatively light colour; a light to medium-bodied mix of fresh, juicy red berry fruit and fine tannins; needed a touch more bulk. Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro. Quality cork. 14.5% alc.
Drink:
2009 |
Date Tasted:
Oct 05
2002
Complex texture, structure and flavour; a melange of sweet tobacco, spice and fruits; sophisticated medium-bodied wine; fine, savoury tannins.
Drink:
2010 |
Date Tasted:
Jul 04
2001
The colour is slightly dull, but not distressingly so; earthy, spicy, savoury fruit aromas are followed by a medium-bodied palate with typical, slightly jammy fruit; not in the same class as the other top-flight wines from Torbreck, but good by any other standard.
Drink:
2011 |
Date Tasted:
Feb 03
2000
Medium red-purple; the fragrant bouquet has juicy/jammy berry fruit supported by subtle oak, the palate with sweet, quite luscious fruit providing good flow and mouthfeel. Carries its 14° alcohol well.
Drink:
2010 |
Date Tasted:
Dec 01
1999
Medium to full red-purple; the potent, voluminous dark berry, leather, spice and blackberry aromas of the bouquet lead into a rich, mouthfilling wine on the palate, with very ripe (14.5°) fruit nicely offset with gently chewy tannins and subtle oak.
Drink:
2009 |
Date Tasted:
Jan 01
1998
Medium to full red-purple; a rich, gently ripe bouquet, with sweet, savoury edges to deep berry fruit; well-handled oak. The palate exudes ripe, dark blackberry fruit; luscious, soft tannins to close.
Drink:
2018 |
Date Tasted:
Jan 00
1997
Medium red, with some purple hues; the bouquet shows quite pronounced jammy/berry Grenache varietal character, which is as it should be, together with a nicely judged touch of vanilla oak. The wine has tremendous character on the palate, with that very sweet ripe grenache fruit coming through on the faintly, but far from unpleasantly jammy mid-palate. Very seductive.
Drink:
2007 |
Date Tasted:
Dec 98
1996
Medium red-purple; a fragrant, sweet juicy, jammy berry bouquet is replicated on the palate; of medium weight, showing good varietal characters throughout, and some tannins to close.
Drink:
2003 |
Date Tasted:
Jan 98