The Auswine Forum

Hi,

There hasn't been much of new Aussie reds released lately here in Sweden, but yesterday the Dead Arm Shiraz from 2001 was released at the Swedish monopoly (roughly AUD 85.00). I have seen some reviews of this wine in the Swedish newspaper and magazines, but most of the reviews have been very unfavourable and some very negative. I was just wondering what the thoughts was on this wine in this forum.

Apreciate any thoughts/commenst/tasting notes.

Kind regards,

Anders

Anders

Here's my impressions - deep purple verging on black in colour, smoky oak, tar, star anise and licorice on the nose, very tight and taut palate reflecting the nose, also showing highly extracted black fruits, gravelly tannins. Very young wine that needs time. Wears its 15% alcohol with ease. Lots of extract, lots of oak, lots of fruit - a lot there. Not my sort of wine, but those who like the d'Arenberg house style will love it. In the UK, it is well priced by super-premium Oz shiraz standards.

Cheers
Phil

Impenetrable dark purple in colour, even the high poured torch I normally use when decanting couldnÂ’t cut a beam through this wine till the bottle was almost empty. Even after three hours there was a noticeable level of VA, nose clearing menthol, brooding dark fruit and an earthy mushroom aroma I could not identify. All this and the bouquet is still tight and unyielding.

This is a full bodied baby with mouth numbing drying tannins, youthful acid and enough deeply seated fruit to provide perfect balance and construction. The flavour profile is complex with cherry, plum, blackberry, chocolate and mint; the longer the wine was open the more the savoury aspects emerged. On the palate the wine fills the mouth and the flavour lingers after it has gone down for longer than it took me to type up this tasting note.

ItÂ’s not hot but getting close and this very complex blockbuster wine thatÂ’s tight and needs years to show its best should peak around 2008 and hold for years after that but I doubt it will go past 2015.

I bought a six pack!

Thank you Ric and Phil for your comments/tasting notes. Looks like I will have to go down to the bottle shop (Swedish Monopoly) and get me a few bottles.

Kind regards, /Anders

Anders,

This is an 'epic' blockbuster wine. Everything in "heroic" proportion.

Cheers,
MC

It was quite the flavour of the month in the US, primarily due to one RP who gave it something in the order of 98/100