TN: Tait Barossa Valley Shiraz 2002

KMP · Post by **KMP** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 6:31 am

Tait Barossa Valley Shiraz 2002 (Basket Pressed) $29.99USD
Cherry red with pink edge. Chocolate and spice notes opening to blackberry and vanilla. Medium weight with vibrant acidity that is well balanced by firm tannins as the wine washes across the palate. Flavors carry through on a lengthy finish. At 24 hours the wine had developed some licorice and still exhibited well balanced firm tannins and crisp acidity. 15.5% alcohol. 2, 2, 4.0, 10.0 = 18.0, Tasted October 15-16.

Another monster alcohol wine that doesn't wobble about at all!

Mike

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:58 pm

Did you try the 2001 at all Mike ? How does it compare ?

KMP · Post by **KMP** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:21 am

markg wrote:Did you try the 2001 at all Mike ? How does it compare ?

Hi Mark. No, haven't tried the '01. The Tait was a wine I bought just to include in the "2002 Australian Shiraz" section of my Tasting Notes eBlog. The source I purchased it from appears to have sold out. A Wine Search did show the '01 available on the East Coast of the US. The '01 is a wine that Parker liked - called it a "Super Ball Buster". Not sure I want to experience that!

But speaking of big wines, this weekend I plan on letting dinner guests vote their pick between the 2002 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Clare Valley Shiraz (15.5%) and the Thorn-Clarke William Randell Barossa Valley Shiraz (13.9%), and then asking them to tell me which has the most alcohol. The wines will be suitably disguised. The experienced palates will probably go for the Thorn-Clarke, but I think the big vote getter will be the JB. And if the wines show the balance they have in the past the votes on alcohol will reflect the amount consumed. :wink:

Mike

markg · Post by **markg** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:57 am

Mike,

The 2001 was a lovely drop. From memory, it had a certain elegance about it as well as being a ball buster

and I am very sorry I only have a couple left in my cellar. From the sounds of your note I may give the 02 a miss though.

KMP · Post by **KMP** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:17 am

markg wrote:Mike,

The 2001 was a lovely drop. From memory, it had a certain elegance about it as well as being a ball buster and I am very sorry I only have a couple left in my cellar. From the sounds of your note I may give the 02 a miss though.

Mark: If I give a wine 18/20 I like it. My palate is very much calibrated to things like St Henri. And you might have noticed from my TNs that the most important things I look for are balance and structure. I'm not big on gushing over all 57 different flavors I think I can smell, (or making a TN sound like I've just had sex with the bottle). I'm like 99% of people if I can get 3 or 4 flavors accurately then I'm doing amazing well. If I ever give more than 5 flavors then you can be pretty confident that its either BS or I've had several glasses too many (or I've had sex with the bottle). So here are two other reviews of the Tait.

Tanzer liked the wine - gave it 91 points - 2002 Tait Wines Shiraz Barossa Valley "Medium bright ruby. Blackberry and licorice on the nose. Lush, pliant and highly concentrated; at once fat and fresh. Sweet, layered flavors of blackberry and black pepper. Shows none of the greenness displayed by the cabernet. An impressively dense shiraz that finishes with sweet, broad tannins and lovely aromatic purity and length. (Southern Starz, Stamford, CT)".

And there is another opinion from the Parker Forum.

Mike