Steve had a Heathcote Shiraz tasting in mind for this busy year, and this one was slotted in an additional tasting in between the usual fortnightly ones. I found it very enjoyable as a whole, with the cooler climate cherry/mint/pepper characters and more medium-full weight palates (in comparison to the big reds at the beginning of the month) resulting in more elegant (albeit very tannic) styles. Barry was absent from this tasting, so the wines didn’t get the usual double decant and breathing time in between; it became a tough challenge to allocate votes, as the top wines were changing constantly.
The wines were tasted blind, and after about an hour all 14 participants voted for their most preferred, two next preferred and their least preferred drops. The panel ranking is based on first preferred votes counting for double in the calculations.
2005 Two Hands Max’s Garden Shiraz $55: Dark to very inky red/purple colour. Glorious ripe/sweet red berries from the first whiff, with sweet blackberry/cherries, mint and some aniseed; the palate’s just as classy, a little jammy at first, but always sweet and well balanced with a very long, tannic finish. This one was always at or near my top all tasting, and came out in front in the final race for votes.
My ranking: 1st place
Panel ranking: 1st place
Votes: 2 most, 9 second & third, 0 least preferred
2004 Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz $66: Dark to very inky purple. The nose was vegetal and reeked of overripe fruit and alcohol; the palate was far better but pretty bland, with very ripe earthy/peppery fruit and some black olive, and some alcohol heat on the finish. When the votes were taken it and it got no second/third preferred votes someone mentioned it was "a love it or not wine", although it got no least preferred votes either. I didn’t like it, but that’s not surprising since my two notes from last year are remarkably similar to this one.
My ranking: 8th place
Panel ranking: 2nd place
Votes: 5 most, 0 second & third, 0 least preferred
2004 Heathcote Estate Shiraz $40: Dark to very inky purple. A fascinating nose bouncing between sweet coffee and cherries at first, diesel fumes, some charred oak, blackcurrant and coal. While the nose was interesting the palate was far more convincing and perfectly balanced; cherries, plums and black pepper, very long and tannic with black olive on the finish and a nutty rebound.
My ranking: 3rd place
Panel ranking: =4th place
Votes: 1 most, 7 second & third, 1 least preferred
2004 Tatiarara Cambrian Shiraz $50: Dark to very inky purple. A weird wine, damp at first and jammy/peaty; the palate was very ripe with medicinal/cherry characters, the sweet finish appearing to be scalped as time went on. There was a fair amount of discussion as to whether this one was corked, oxidised or possibly a bit of both, and it was removed at voting time.
Faulty and excluded from the voting
2004 Carlei Green's Vineyard Shiraz $27: Dark to very inky purple. Floral/spicy nose with violets, aniseed/mint, coffee, and cloves; sweet/ripe cherries/plums that become quite intense on the palate, finishing long and slightly warm.
My ranking: 5th place
Panel ranking: 6th place
Votes: 0 most, 3 second & third, 1 least preferred
2005 Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz $66: Dark to almost inky purple, significantly paler than the other wines. Like the colour the nose was strikingly different to the 2004 vintage; very floral at first, but then quite funky and gamey/meaty/stocky, not unlike a grungy Rhone. Likewise the palate was very floral, with much lighter weight cherry fruit and a long, smoky and tannic finish. This wasn't as impressive as at an instore two weeks ago, and quite a few panellists thought it was just too bretty for their liking.
My ranking: 6th place
Panel ranking: =8th place
Votes: 1 most, 0 second & third, 6 least preferred
2004 Taltarni Heathcote Shiraz $40: Dark to inky purple. Heavy oak and fruit influences here, the nose at first smelling a bit like wood glue, followed by ripe, sweet blackberry/cherry fruit, some crushed ants, cloves and vanilla. There was less oak influence on the weighty palate, quite a sizeable punch of ripe, sweet blackberry/cherry fruit, pepper and black olive, finishing very dry and tannic.
My ranking: 2nd place
Panel ranking: 3rd place
Votes: 3 most, 4 second and third, 1 least preferred
2004 Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz $65: Dark to very inky purple. Jammy blackberry fruit with some medicinal characters on the nose; very sweet cherry/blackberry fruit on the palate with some white pepper, finishing long and dry but also with some alcohol heat.
My ranking: 7th place
Panel ranking: =4th place
Votes: 2 most, 4 second & third, 0 least preferred
2005 Occam’s Razor Shiraz $37: Dark to very inky purple. Awful nose, extremely vegetal and charry; the palate was just as unattractive, bitter, dry and metallic. While I thought it was very ordinary at an instore tasting two weeks earlier, I didn’t think it was quite this bad.
My ranking: 9th place
Panel ranking: =8th place
Votes: 0 most, 0 second & third, 4 least preferred
2004 Seppelt Mt. Ida Shiraz $45: Dark to inky purple. Dark, simmering fruits with a touch of lifted cherries and pepper, and eventually some VA with breathing. The palate was well balanced but also a bit reserved compared to the other wines in this line-up, with sweet cherry fruit, pepper and excellent structure and length.
My ranking: 4th place
Panel ranking: 7th place
Votes: 0 most, 1 second & third, 1 least preferred
Cheers,
Ian
TN: Blacktongues - Heathcote Shiraz 28/3/07
TN: Blacktongues - Heathcote Shiraz 28/3/07
Last edited by n4sir on Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
Grand Cru wrote:Sounds like you had a very interesting tasting Ian. I'm a long time fan of Jasper Hill and can only think that you had a sub standard bottle of the 2005 as I've drunk several and found them to be delicious. I'm tempted to open another this weekend so I can compare notes.
Pierre
Gavin & Steve thought we struck a dud bottle too, and Steve said he's going to slot another one in later on in the year.
The one thing I will say though is I think the 2005 will still be very different to the 'normal' Georgia's block. Both times I've tried it I noticed it's significantly paler, lighter weight and far more floral in comparison, and it's only 13.5% alcohol too.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
kirragc wrote: Was there any concensus on 'what makes'a Heathcote Shiraz?regs G
Very interesting tasting to get ten Heathcotes in one line up. Down our end of the table we commented how as a group they had great colour, good noses that suggested big rich palates but they were all just medium weight and generally had quite a deal of tannin. Flavours are not as ripe and juicy as we normally see in Barossa and McLaren Vale, more in the savoury, minerally spectrum. The best were very good but the prices are generally steepish.
My best was the 2004 Jasper Hill Georgias, classic wine. Next I had three wines very close, 2004 Wild Duck Creek Springflat, 2005 Both Hands Max's Garden and whilst it probably had too much oak the 2004 Taltarni.
2004 Mt.Ida & 2004 Heathcote Estate were quite drinkable, but wasn't rapt in the 2005 Occam's Razor, 2005 Jasper Hill Georgias (same flavour profile as the 2004 version but much lighter, I've tried better bottles of this vintage I'm sure) or 2004 Carlei Greens Vineyard.
Unfortunately "Murphy" intervened and the 2004 Tatiarra Cambrian was corked - the only one I can't get replaced in Adelaide!
Cheers - Steve
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!