2004 Seppelt St. Peters Shiraz - 13.5% - Grampians, Victoria, Australia
As this wine seems to be a topic of discussion lately, I thought I would post my impressions of the first wine I have opened from my 6-pack. I opened it at lunch yesterday (with a 2004 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon that was superb and needs at least 10 years to reach any sort of peak drinking window - 96/100 (19/20)) and am finishing it off now.
I can report that the wine has settled down a bit in raw power based on early tasting notes. It is now an example of superb restraint with ripeness, power, structure and length. In a time when I am monotonously commenting that Australian Shiraz is too ripe, too silky, too cushiony or too perfumed, this wine showed great balance between each of these, primarily due to the wine's abundant ripe and fine tannins that allow traditional Victorian complexities such as pepper to have their moment in the light.
On a base of blackberry and ripe cherries that gives a great sense that much more fruit and power is to be revealed over the next 10 years, there is quite obvious vanilla/caramel oak but not overpowering, especially on the back palate, with florals and musk, similar to as found in good Pinot Noir, fruitcake and chinese spice, chocolate, cedar, cranberry and pepper. Each have had their moments over the last 18 hours. The wine opened surprisingly medium bodied but has built powerfully since. If you are to drink a bottle soon, give it some time in the decanter or open it in the morning. The wine's flavour length is phenomenal with the flavoursome, ripe, fine, with hints of carbon and gravel, tannins becoming more prominent. Classy and delicious on the finish, this is the sign of this and any wine’s true greatness. 96/100 (18.9/20), I have only strongly recommended a few Australian Shiraz over the past few years and this is the latest.
Kind regards,
Adair
P.S. Annoying point to note - every one of the metal capsules of my unopened 6-pack had been damaged to some extent. What do these wines go through before getting to the consumer?
2004 Seppelt St. Peters Shiraz - 13.5% - Grampians, Victoria
2004 Seppelt St. Peters Shiraz - 13.5% - Grampians, Victoria
Wine is bottled poetry.
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
Ben
I would check with Seppelt's PR as to whether there is a problem with damaged capsules.
At Henschke last week, who have almost their entire CD range now under stelvin, I was advised to be careful not to damage their capsules as it could compromise the stelvin seal- leading to oxidisation I suppose. May just be the Henschke stelvin seal, I don't know.
I would check with Seppelt's PR as to whether there is a problem with damaged capsules.
At Henschke last week, who have almost their entire CD range now under stelvin, I was advised to be careful not to damage their capsules as it could compromise the stelvin seal- leading to oxidisation I suppose. May just be the Henschke stelvin seal, I don't know.
Last edited by JamieBahrain on Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
