My order arrived at the cellar during the week and with all the recent hype over the Greenock creeks I couldn't wait to crack one on Saturday arvo. I have had each vintage of the Alice - the 2000 was my favourite, the 2001 was good but not as good as the 2000 (at least that was my opinion it seems RPJ and my mum have different ones .
Well, I almost put it back in the cellar when I looked at the back label - Yikes, 16% alcohol ! I opened it anyway after some deliberation.
The color was a deep, glass staining purple/black color that sunlight had trouble penetrating. The nose jumped from the glass with lifted scents of plum, mulberries and black pepper. The palate had massive fruit concentration and a good stiff backbone of chalky tannins and flavors that lingered for about 5 minutes. The fruit intensity was incredible, it was like cramming your mouth full of fruit pastilles and juicy fruits and then chewing and chewing (Hmmm... I came up with that description after consuming about 75% of the bottle to myself, I may have been under the influence slightly when I made that note) - An excellent wine, the best Alice shiraz sofar.
96/100 pnts
Cheers -Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia. Now accepting wine for our next auction. http://www.wickman.net.au
markg wrote:My order arrived at the cellar during the week and with all the recent hype over the Greenock creeks I couldn't wait to crack one on Saturday arvo. I have had each vintage of the Alice - the 2000 was my favourite, the 2001 was good but not as good as the 2000 (at least that was my opinion it seems RPJ and my mum have different ones .
Well, I almost put it back in the cellar when I looked at the back label - Yikes, 16% alcohol ! I opened it anyway after some deliberation.
JamieBahrain wrote:Mark
I baulked at the Alice -still a little shy of 16% table wines.
Guys: 16% is a baby! This thing is 17% and if he could get more in there I think he probably would.
My TN was "Garretson Hoage Vineyard “The Bulladoir†2002 (Paso Robles, California) Deep, dense black cherry red with red edge. Very open with predominant blackberry and almost every other jam. On the palate this wine, well the WMD have been discovered! Too big, too powerful. Astringent beyond belief. And there is sweetness there as well. To give it some credit the flavors do linger on retronasal for an awfully long time. Maybe it will settle down, but it probably should not be released so soon. Oh, one other detail, it has 17% alcohol. You can’t taste it!"
Warrabilla Parola's Reserve Durif 02 clocks in at 17.5% and I haven't read a bad review (even Halliday liked it). Noon Solaire has gone higher than this, I believe.
I am thinking about buying a mixed dozen after reading these positive notes. Alice and Apricot shirazes sounded good. How about the cab sauv and the Seven Acre shiraz? Would really appreciate any help. Thanks.
Doh on the Alices but woohoo on the Apricot Silly question then, what's the generally most polite and accepted way to contact the winery so that I may procure some of the good stuff?
The hype is interesting. The local store received about 20 calls. I was in there last night and they have two bottles of the 2000 Alice's that no one wants!! At $44USD/bt they are way cheaper than anything reviewed in TWA#155, but then the 2000 is only a 90+ wine!
Thanks for the info Jamie As to the hype, it's truly bizarre and really very sad, as in crying tears sad, because I've really enjoyed the Alices and Apricot Block before at ~$30, and I'd hate to have to pay $100 for the privilage just because Parker also likes them
.
but woohoo on the Apricot 
Silly question then, what's the generally most polite and accepted way to contact the winery so that I may procure some of the good stuff? 
