The Shiraz fruit is from a single block from Hentley Farm in the Barossa Valley.
In the glass: Still rather dark and brooding, showing some age around the rim.
On the nose: notes of lavender and violets with hints of kitchen spice and a slight dose of oak still present.
As the name suggests, this is a robust shiraz, even with 13 years of bottle age, the wine still has impressive fruit power in the mouth; all be it round, soft and slightly dusty with age.
The palate shows a soft, though dense, side to the blackberry fruits, with a twist of liquorice wrapped in smooth, dark chocolatey tannin, supported by a flourish of purple flowers on the back palate, completing this bottle of wine at its peak.
I really enjoyed this wine with a thick char-grilled T-bone steak on a bed of garlic-scented mashed potatoes with crisp steamed broccoli.
Michael Lillis
