TN: Recent top Shiraz

[corcoran]

I think I've gone a few months without posting any notes. Here are a few from this year that have performed really well:

'00 Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz (McLaren Vale) - dark, but not opaque, purple red color. The nose was at first reticent, but opened to wonderful aromas of marzipan, licorice, black cherries, and vanilla bean. Flavors were equally complex and interesting, with vanilla bean, black cherries, marzipan, licorice, dark chocolate and rum. Long, long finish (1 minute at least) of dark cherries and vanilla. Wonderful wine. Rated as Excellent My first try of a Block 6, and I was not disappointed.

'01 Liebichwein The Darkie Shiraz (Barossa) - second time with this one in the last year, but it continues to impress me. Dark, rich and powerful nose and flavors of plum, dark chocolate, and blackberries. This wine is not at all sweet, but just loaded with flavor and having a long, long finish.
Also rated as Excellent and at around $30 US / $40 AUS is a reasonable value for the quality.

'01 Massena the 11th Hour (Barossa) - I last tried this a year ago and was impressed, but had reservations about how tight it was. Not so now, wow. Still incredibly dense and unevolved, but emerging. Beautiful aromatics of plums, blackberries and dark chocolate. Flavors of plum, tangerine, dark chocolate, and licorice all compete for attention along with some meaty elements. Minute long, somewhat mouth puckering finish with plum, tangerine and dark chocolate. Rated as Excellent, I think one more year on this and it will rate Outstanding.
At $30 over in Australia, this is a bargain. If you can get it in the US, it is more expensive.

In retrospect, I wish I had purchased more of the Massena, it seems to be aging into an absolutely superb wine, and is probably the best Shiraz I've had yet this year.

[Mike Hawkins]

I had the 98 Darkie last night (and have the headache to prove it). Not much oak influence, nice dark berry fruit on the nose and palate. Not overextracted by any means. Slightly hot finish representative of the 15% alcohol.