Twin Cities Wine Club

Australian Shiraz Event

      April 28, 2006

   Biaggi’s Restaurant

 

The night started off with a blind tasting between two 93 point wines that Wine Spectator and Robert Parker rated.  Here are my tasting notes on them.

 

2001 Ross Estate Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  medium purple

Nose:  Floral and cherry

Taste:  A nice fruit forward wine with distinct oak components but not over the top.

Finish:  A medium finish with oak and a variety of fruits.

Evaluation:  A really solid wine with aging potential.  92 points

 

2002 Green Point Victoria Shiraz

Color:  Deep magenta color

Nose:  Almost seemed like we were smelling cabernet.  Oak present.

Taste:  A real buttery taste like a cab with very little distinct fruit.

Finish:  Tobacco and earth tones dominate on this medium finish.

Evaluation:  Not as impressive as the ross but a well made wine.  90 points

 

The overall opinions of both wines were positive.  In taking a survey of popularity it was split down the middle.  Now on to the main event tasting of $50 plus Aussie Shirazes.  Like all of the Twin Cities Wine Clubs tastings they are done blind.  We put in an $8 bottle to see if anyone would detect it and of course most of us figure out the experiment.

 

2004 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Red

Color:  Medium

Nose:  Weak fruit

Taste:  A little noticeable fruit but very one dimensional.

Finish:  Not much there and it seemed to be watered down.

Evaluation:  This wine clearly did not belong in the tasting but it was fun to see if anyone figure out it didn’t belong.  What are the odds it was served first?  Overall for $8 not a bad value.  82 points

 

2003 Amon-Ra Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Blueberries and pepper

Taste:  Earth tones with smooth tannins.  Not much ripe fruit.

Finish:  A lengthy finish with pepper evident.

Evaluation:  I would say this wine would need some cellar time and would open another one in 2008.  92 points currently

 

2003 Tim Smith Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Dark ruby

Nose:  Cherry and buttery elements

Taste:  Wow!  Grape jam, cherry, chocolate, a touch of pepper.  Super multilayered.

Finish:  A great mouthful of wonderful elements coming together on this long finish.

Evaluation:  In 2006 this is my favorite wine.  I can’t imagine shiraz getting much better.  96 points (highest score in 06 given).

 

2002 Dutschke St. Jakobi Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Cherry and vanilla

Taste:  Oak notes along with some nice fruit but nothing complex.

Finish:  Medium with a little complexity but nothing amazing.

Evaluation:  A solid effort that is enjoyable to drink.  Not a fruit bomb but lacks upper echelon quality.  91 points

 

2003 Mitolo GAM McLaren Vale Shiraz

Color:  Medium hue

Nose:  red berries and a little musty.

Taste:  Pepper with little available fruit.

Finish:  Short.

Evaluation:  One problem with any high quality wine is that it will drink well and hit a “dumb phase” at some point but not always.  I had this wine back in January and it was amazing and potentially wine of the year for me but no formal notes were taken.  HOLD and DRINK AFTER 2007. 89 points

 

2002 Kaesler The Bogan Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spice and pepper

Taste:  Nice solid fruit and pepper.

Finish:  An elegant finish with pepper and a chocolate notes.

Evaluation:  This wine is showing nicely but needs some cellar time.  A well made wine from a great producer.  Expect a higher score in the future.  91 points

 

2003 Red Edge Victoria Heathcote Shiraz

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Red bell pepper

Taste:  Truffles, pepper almost a little on the sour side.

Finish:  Medium with earth and pepper dominating.

Evaluation:  A well made wine but at $60 retail a little pricey.  90 points

 

2003 Greenock Creek Alice’s Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Espresso, tar and earth

Taste:  Fresh tobacco, earth and not a ton of fruit at the moment.

Finish:  Medium to long with many elements above emerging.

Evaluation:  HOLD and you will be rewarded.  92 points currently

 

2003 Clarendon Hills St. Moritz Shiraz

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Fruit and tar

Taste:  Earth with a tart element.

Finish:  Medium finish with a few elements intermixed but nothing blowing me away.

Evaluation:  Hard to justify the cost of the wine at around $80 retail.  Hopefully will improve with proper cellaring.  91 points

 

2002 Marquis Philips Integrity McLaren Vale Shiraz

Color:  Dark ruby red

Nose:  A hint of pepper, spice, with no noticeable fruit

Taste:  Tobacco, spice, pepper and a buttery note.

Finish:  A lengthy one with pepper, tobacco and some serious buttery notes intertwined.

Evaluation:  Wow what a powerful wine with really only lacking some fruit components.  Aging might change that and my score.  94 points

 

2003 Kaesler The Bogan Barossa Valley Shiraz

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, cherry, plum

Taste:  Great fruits on the palate and some crushed rock and spice to boot.

Finish:  Buttery taste almost cabernet like.

Evaluation:  What a great wine and tied for Wine of the Night but the Tim Smith edged it out.  Aging this wine were looking into the top echelon of Aussie shiraz.  96 points

 

What a great event and planned next year in April to celebrate my birthday.  One topic that came up is trying to get older vintages for the next Aussie tasting.  Many of the 2003 shirazes were too young for my palate. 

 

One nice element of Aussie Shriazes is the relative bargains that you can get.  The high ratings these wines receive you would think the prices would skyrocket but they are still mostly under $80 retail.

 

This was my favorite Twin Cities Wine Club Event of the year and I am looking forward to a bigger event next year.