2002 Kay Brothers "Hillside" Shiraz

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:56 pm

2002 Kay Brothers "Hillside" Shiraz Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â‚¬â€œ 15% - McLaren Vale
Gorgeous wine full of complexity including sweet earth, powerful dark Shiraz fruit and highlights of cherry liquor. Great depth. Although very, very tight and need of at least 6 years to starting delivering its potential, it shows very well after 6 or so hours in the decanter. Fruit, oak and acid all in balance to create a powerful wine with considerable elegance. This alcohol is no issue. Excellent.

Adair

707 · Post by **707** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:30 pm

Adair, haven't had this since a couple of bottles at release time but your notes are similar to my recall of the wine.

The 2002 is just another episode in this excellent line which I've bought since the 1998 vintage. Kays must have a very good patch of hillside and be great viticulturalists because both the Hillside and Block 6 show little vintage variation IMO, the 2002s though look to be very long term.

The 2000 Block 6 is my pick as the best Shiraz of that vintage from SA.

smithy · Post by **smithy** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:19 pm

Saw both the 02 block 6 and the hillside in barrell. The Block 6 walked all over the Hillside, but no wonder! It was absolutely the best red we saw in our SA odessy (trip!).

Sensational colour, long perfumed nose, some blackcurrant, sweet American oak, great velvety tannin and structure. Whoah baby!

Cheers
Smithy

JohnP · Post by **JohnP** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 8:25 am

Had some 02 Hillside last night alongside the 03 Fox Creek Short Row - both need time - but the Short Row simply blew it away (vintage difference notwithstanding).

John

Alan Rath · Post by **Alan Rath** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:56 am

Adair, I tried a bottle of this a month or two ago (here) and just couldn't figure it out. Is it really just so closed, in its shell, waiting for several years to blossom?

Cheers,
Alan[/url]

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:47 pm

Yes, this wine is really, really closed (read: "very, very tight"). The last bottle I drank, as described in my brief note above, was opened and decanted at 10:30am and served in that decanted (after sitting in it the whole time) at 8pm. I believe that I was able to judge and indeed enjoy the wine after this time... although I am a bit of a stucturalist.

Adair

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 7:50 pm

Adair wrote:.. although I am a bit of a stucturalist.

Yes.... and i undersatnd the Pope is "a bit of a" catholic too. :roll:

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:38 am

I actually drank the wine over 3 nights, and it just wasn't budging. I had planned to buy at least half a case to put away, but that experience made me scratch my head a bit, and I haven't pulled the trigger. If the Block 6 is that much better, maybe I'm better off buying half as many of those? (the stuff is damn expensive up here - minimum $US 75).

Cheers,
Alan