Popped and poured, you immediately get an inkling of the nose as it wafts over while I'm setting it up for the photo. Swirling in the glass you almost get a languid sense of movement, which had me looking for the alcohol level which is listed at 14.5%, the colour is a lovely deep red when swirling and impenetrable when still in the glass, leaving legs on the Zalto Universal. As per the label it suggests decanting for an hour to breathe not to mention it shows a noticeable amount of sediment so would recommend decanting in any case.
On the nose there is a small reductive component, this seems to dissipate as it sits in the glass. Blackberry and dark fruits are the dominants, salted dark chocolate, with some bacon fat, black pepper and dark cherry. There is also a slight hint of funk which I'd only get every second or third smell, such that I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it or not, it certainly added a little more interest to it.
There is an almost inherent softness that I always associated with a Basket Pressed wine (I have no idea if there is any scientific evidence to back this up), the way it glides along your tongue. The tannins are so soft and silky it's like they are not there, the fruit certainly is the star here at the moment. It's not until you swallow that you realise that there are indeed tannins present as you lick off the remnants off your teeth and cheeks. There is a lovely linear acidity that cuts through from the front of the palate to the back that keeps the power in check. The linearity of the wine struck me as one of its best virtues, there is no dropping off on the back palate it just powers through which is testament to the quality and purity of the fruit. It has a very insistent length, not in any real hurry to go anywhere. After a few more sips the tannins and oak start to figure more prominently creating a more balanced wine.
Make no mistake this is a big wine, yet it has a sense of elegance about it which precludes you from pigeonholing it as a typical McLaren Vale Shiraz I'm more inclined to slip it in the Velvet Glove Iron Fist hole, and that is no faint praise as I feel this is one of the really hard things to get right in the world of wine. Power and finesse. I see this lasting for another 5-10 years in a canter. I might be going out on a limb here, I reckon if you are a fan of Kay Bros Block 6 you will love this wine at nearly half the price I know which one be grabbing. 93pts
PS love the nerdy like touch of the pi-ke on the label
