The Auswine Forum

Winter Creek Shiraz 2004

This wine just looks great, raw good health, lovely clear red purple in the glass. The nose is fantastic, aromatic and varietal, full on Barossa Valley Shiraz from a cooler section of the valley (Williamstown) and a cooler vintage .... mixed spices, touches of white pepper, a little vanilla, moccha and a jumble of fruits, dark cherries, plums, blackberries and more. Wow, the palate does not let you down, as interwoven through the long palate chock full of dark fruits, there is a core of chocolately raspberry fruit, and long and very ripe fine tannins.

The palate lingers and lingers, with those tannins just drawing everything together. This is a wine of class and style, with the structure and purity of fruit to develop beautifully in the cellar and develop the complexity that is hidden in this young wine. The best wine I've had from Winter Creek, and seriously undervalued at under $30!

Having tried this last May I can only agree, fantastic structure and balance to back up the lovely fruit.

I should have arranged for the order Ric placed to be sent to me rather than Ric's place as I want to put it in a tasting line-up, I'm sure some of my tasting group members would like it. Never mind, will pick it up at his place at the Bowral off-line.

Red Bigot wrote:Having tried this last May I can only agree, fantastic structure and balance to back up the lovely fruit.

I should have arranged for the order Ric placed to be sent to me rather than Ric's place as I want to put it in a tasting line-up, I'm sure some of my tasting group members would like it. Never mind, will pick it up at his place at the Bowral off-line.

I can send it to you, it wouldn't be shipped until next week anyway (cooler weather).

What is your, and Rick's, preference?

Thanks, I'll email after I check with Ric.

Let me add my 2 cents worth.

It's a bloody fantastriv wine; fruit driven and none of those over-ripe characters found in many wines today and there is minimal oak infulence.

Its also great value too!

Gavin, its fine to ship to Brian, I am confident he will not skip the country with it...... and if he does; I will raid his cellar.

TORB wrote: I will raid his cellar.

You will have to be pretty quick, the alarm company is under strict instructions to send the patrol/police if the alarm sensor in the cellar goes off!

Gavin,

TN's are for the 04 but on the auswine site it is the 03. If we order is it the 04 we are ordering?

Thanks

Finney (Craig)

Finney wrote:Gavin,

TN's are for the 04 but on the auswine site it is the 03. If we order is it the 04 we are ordering?

Thanks

Finney (Craig)

Craig

I have not added the 04 to the web site yet. Its ordered and on its way from Winter Creek, but not in yet.

Will add today.

Added and available now, stock on way in.

Anyone got an opinion on the drinking window for the 04?

-- George Krashos

I tried this last year and loved it. They do pretty good fortified shiraz, too

George Krashos wrote:Anyone got an opinion on the drinking window for the 04?

-- George Krashos

Winter Creek 2004 Shiraz SAMay05 The youthful fruity bouquet shows a touch of coffee (which is derived from the fruit, not the oak) and a hint of camphor. Ultra-fine, unobtrusive, smooth tannins, fresh acid and pure, deeply-seated fruit are perfectly balanced and provide a firm, solid, tight construction. With terrific brambly fruit, coffee and a sweet underlying layer of cherry; it finishes with very long tannins. Ample-weight, it is already harmonious and will only get better with time. With enough flavour to cut through some strong cheese this “dead sexy” wine has fantastic power for its weight. Rated as Highly Recommended with ***** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures; this is the best wine to be produced under the Winter Creek label and one of the 850 cases will definitely wind up in my cellar. Brian commented, "a structure to die for.”

About 2010 should be a good time to see how its going.

Gavin, please don't talk about the value, David reads this forum and may be tempted to put the price up.

George Krashos wrote:Anyone got an opinion on the drinking window for the 04?

-- George Krashos

I don't drink windows - too much of a pane.

Sorry

Not mentioned in the tasting, both 2004 Winter Creek wines are bottled under screwcaps.