TN: Jim Barry, The Lodge Hill Shiraz, Clare Valley '02

Mishy · Post by **Mishy** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 9:06 am

28$
Delish !
By far the best Lodge Hill bottling I've had in many years.
Deeper, fuller, richer then the 'classic' Clare valley wines I'm used to, it's seems to be a bit of the best of both worlds (or regions). If someone poured this for me blind, I would've probably had a hard time picking this as a Clare.
Opaque at the core and near viscous as a brutish Barossa without the hammer tannins.
The nose is very forward with bing cherry, black pepper, as well as some uniquely 'Cabernet-esk' characteristics. Sweet cedar and 'old barn on a hot summer day' in the background of the palate, finishing with vanillin and cumin spice.
Lovely finish, smooth and elegant, excellent supporting tannins to carry all that full fruit.
Highly recommended, some cellar time could be rewarded.
Cheers,
Mishy

707 · Post by **707** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 10:13 am

Good notes Mishy and very much how I saw the wine when I had a bottle last week. The 2002 vintage is certainly turning out some great wines at the lower end of the price spectrum.

This is one of my bargains of 2004.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 2:38 pm

I love the Jim Barry Cover Drive 02. When tasted with 50 or so the wines recently it was second (by popular consensus) behind the 01 Petaluma Coonawarra. Not bad for a $22 wine.

Justin B. · Post by **Justin B.** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 2:39 pm

Not sure how I got logged out. Anyway the previous post was me. The Cover Drive is a cabernet by the way.

KMP · Post by **KMP** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:01 am

AUSTRALIA & CALIFORNIA SHOOT IT OUT AGAIN!

Mishy wrote:I have a bit of trouble with this entire tasting..............basically I wouldn't care to drink a single one of these wines.......
Cheers,
Mishy

Mishy:

Glad to see you've changed your mind.

The JB Lodge Hill has to be one of the best values from the 2002 shiraz that I have tried. It has certainly received more than its fair share of praise (one of Halliday's 100 for 2004, among others) but as usual in the wine world there have been some detractors. Fortunately Parker only gave it a 90. And described it as "Medium-bodied, corpulent, and fleshy" - to the uninitiated that would sound contradictory! Certainly doesn't give me an attractive mental picture of the wine.

Mike

Mishy · Post by **Mishy** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 11:08 am

Quoted by KMP:
Glad to see you've changed your mind

Mike,
I was wrong and you were right

.
Sadly it's heading out of the 'value' bracket here at 28$C, but it was delicious enough to justify and warrant accolades on a QPR level.