TN: Maxwell Ellen Street Shiraz 2018

[Waiters Friend]

Decanted about 3 hours before service. Crimson in colour and bright in the glass.

Rich and spicy nose - lots of dark plums and berries, vanilla, mocha, cloves, and maybe some nutmeg. Milk chocolate also.

The palate is slightly tart (in a good way), with tangy red and dark fruits on the tongue along with strong supporting acid. Tannins are relatively fine and only slightly mouth-puckering. The wine is medium- to full- bodied and finishes quite long, with the acidity making the finish fresh and clean.

This was opened too young, but has prompted me to buy some more. Not surprisingly, this will go for another decade.

Cheers
Allan

[phillisc]

Hi Allan, thanks for the note on this one....certainly reinforces my thinking.
I thought the '16 was a magnificent wine, the punters at the 2018 Edinburgh Cellars Shiraz tasting certainly thought so...voted top 5 out of 200+ wines.
I had mates who went to the CD a couple of weeks back and did the degustation. They said the 18 ES is a cracker, will order tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

[Waiters Friend]

This wine has turned into a regular buy for me eachvintage. I don't think I have opened a 2018 since the last tasting note, however.

SImilar colour to 3 years ago. The nose has intensified, with the Christmas cake spices coming to the fore over lashings of dark fruits. Oak derived mocha and even some pencil shavings are also evident.

The palate still has a touch ot tartness from red fruits, and this is where the red and blue fruits take over from the spices. Acid remains supportive, and the tannins remain fine and slightly grippy, but the overall impression on the palate is of softness and velvet. Medium to full bodied, and the wine finishes quite long.

Drinking well now, but has plenty of life ahead.

Cheers
Allan

Ellen Street.jpg