TN: Some good Shiraz

[Alan Rath]

From a local Bay Area wine shop's tasting:

<b>2002 Elderton Shiraz</b>
The nose is initially a bit reduced, but this blows off. The wine has decent depth and richness, nicely balanced, with only modest oak - an improvement over some previous vintages, and quite good QPR at $22

<b>2002 DArenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz/Viognier</b>
Follows the pattern set by the previous two vintages: rich, ripe, lush, high-toned; ready to drink, a very fun wine. This is a "summer shiraz" if there is such a thing...

<b>2001 Kay Bros. Amery Hillside Shiraz</b>
Dark, brooding; touches of tar, licorice and dark chocolate; hints of vanilla, no obvious oak. A big, brawny wine; at $37, possibly the QPR of the vintage in comparison to anything else I've tried.

<b>2002 Two Hands Samantha's Garden Shiraz</b>
This has a bit more complexity to it; ripe but not jammy; some spice, herbs, a bit higher toned; good finish, a touch smoky; bit of oak, but not obtrusive. Really nice wine, and it's interesting to see the clear distinctions between the three "gardens": Bella's is big and voluptuous, Lily's seems more restrained (perhaps because it has a bit too much oak for my tastes, at least in its youth), and this one the most complex and elegant of the three.

<b>2001 Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz</b>
Another big wine: sweet & ripe, with a long finish.

<b>2000 D'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz</b>
The best nose so far, showing some white pepper; dark and rich, a bit of tar and licorice, good tannic balance, and a long finish. Huge but balanced, great wine.

<b>1999 Elderton Command Shiraz</b>
Darker flavors, deep and brooding, touches of oak, but much better than I remember it from about a year ago. Very good, and worth the price if you don't mind a bit of oak.

<b>2000 Barossa Valley Estates E&E Black Pepper Shiraz</b>
Another slightly reduced nose; explosive, rich, lush, flat out gorgeous.

<b>2001 D'Arenberg 2001 Dead Arm Shiraz</b>
Huge, ripe, maintains good balance without too much tar/licorice; long, long finish. Spectacular.

<b>1998 Yalumba Octavius</b>
Ripe nose, rich and long, with a bit of oak but not objectionable, great finish. A huge wine.

<b>2001 Torbreck Decendent</b>
Gorgeous, giveaway floral nose; brighter, a little sweeter, incredible depth and good complexity; the finish is nicely tannic, suggesting a long life. This is a beautiful wine, one that can be enjoyed slowly - as opposed to some of the wines above, which (for me) are one glass wines - albeit spectacular.

An amazing lineup of great wines; my tongue is still swollen the next day!

Regards,
Alan

[markg]

Alan,

I agree with the 2002 Elderton Shiraz - Had this the other night - Very nice for a mid-$20 wine.

[Baby Chickpea]

From a local Bay Area wine shop's tasting:

<b>2002 DArenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz/Viognier</b>
Follows the pattern set by the previous two vintages: rich, ripe, lush, high-toned; ready to drink, a very fun wine. This is a "summer shiraz" if there is such a thing...

<b>2000 D'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz</b>
The best nose so far, showing some white pepper; dark and rich, a bit of tar and licorice, good tannic balance, and a long finish. Huge but balanced, great wine.

<b>1999 Elderton Command Shiraz</b>
Darker flavors, deep and brooding, touches of oak, but much better than I remember it from about a year ago. Very good, and worth the price if you don't mind a bit of oak.

I came back from a big shiraz tasting last nite and had these - agree - top wines. I'll post my notes when I get the time to write them up.