I too am a huge fan of this wine.....the palate was big and inky, but without overpowering oak. I like the fact that it uses French oak, instead of that Vanilla American oak flavour, which is more suited to huge Barossa Shiraz. The palate is really long, and it is one of those wines where you want to keep drinking it. We went and bought a case of it after trying it at a restaurant.
I tracked down Robert Parkers Comments in last months Wine Advocate for those of you that are interested.....
“I also enjoyed the tapenade and black fruit character of the sexy 2003 Shiraz, which spent 12 months in French oak.
No wimpish wine at 14.7% alcohol, it reveals admirable glycerin, fine expansiveness, tremendous purity, and layers
of fruit.Ââ€Â