Tag Archives: Shiraz/Syrah

Trinity Hill Syrah 2006

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Second in a lineup of Gimblett Gravels Syrahs. I was a little underwhelmed by the previous example (from Craggy Range).
Youthful purple colour, good clarity, a lovely wine to look at.
On the nose, identifiably regional notes of black pepper and pot pourri, but also a prominent strand of clean, attractive bright berry fruit and some undergrowth. Good complexity and interest. Also some nice vanilla oak, in a supporting role.
On entry, the wine feels a little dilute and lacking in immediacy of impact. The middle palate is where things become quite expressive. Medium bodied, fresh flavours that echo those on the nose, with good balance between all the elements. The mouthfeel is very clean, not especially textural, but appropriate given the freshness of the flavour profile. The after palate shows good continuity from the middle, and attractively persistent flavour. Chalky tannins finish off the wine nicely.
This wine is a tasty, drinkable expression of Syrah and stood up extremely well to a rather spicy pasta dish.
Trinity HillPrice: $NZ29Closure: DiamDate tasted: December 2007

Craggy Range Block 14 Syrah 2006

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I bought a few Gimblett Gravels Syrahs to taste so that I can better understand the style being produced there as well as how individual producers are approaching things. This one is from Craggy Range, which gets my vote for most grand tasting facility in Hawkes Bay, at least that I’m aware of.
Nice sparkling purple-red colour, good density.
A really striking nose of black pepper and dried flowers, a bit like sharp pot pourri. Lots of impact, and quite characterful, but the more I sniffed it, the more I realised that it’s a wine that exists almost entirely at this high toned, spicily aromatic end of the spectrum, with little fruit weight of the regular berry kind. With some time in glass, a bit of red berry fruit emerged, but it really does remain in the background.
The palate is a virtual rerun of the nose. The same pepper and dried flowers dominate the flavour profile. The wine is of light to medium weight, very linear, with firm and yet delicately structured acidity. Despite the acidity’s presence, it adds very little to the texture of the wine, and the tannins are quite laid back. Again, there are some berry flavours but they are an undercurrent more than anything else. Fairly good length on the finish.
Whilst it’s a wine with impact, it’s also quite one-dimensional and didn’t go with a dinner of lamb (NZ’s finest!) especially well. The food seemed to clash with the wine’s flavours and reduce rather than add to complexity. Possibly needs some time in bottle to settle down, as I expected much more from this wine, given its reputation. Would be interested in retasting in a few months.
Craggy RangePrice: $NZ38Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Ata Rangi Célèbre 2005

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Ata Ranga is well-known for its Pinot Noir, so I was curious to give this blend of Martinborough and Hawkes Bay Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot a go. I have no idea why it’s called Célèbre.
The nose is very expressive and shows a seductive blend of violets, raw meat, dark berry fruits, spice (clove-like) and a good whack of oak. There’s good intensity here, and the balance is impressive (though perhaps with the oak showing too much after some time in glass). The palate again shows good balance and a focused line. The entry is immediately flavoursome and leads to a medium/full bodied middle palate showing intense, deliciously savoury dark fruits and mouthwatering astringency. The finish is especially lovely, and showcases very fine, chocolate-like tannins, framed by caramel/vanilla oak and quite prominent sappiness.
This is an elegant wine, full of flavour and tightly structured. It lacks the complexity of the very best wines, but is seductive and balanced. I asked myself whether there was an element of underripeness, but if there is, for my taste it is question of style rather than fault. It went well with our dinner of beef and roasted vegetables, the fruit having no issues matching the intense beefy flavour of the lovely New Zealand meat.
Ata RangiPrice: $NZ32Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2002

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Recently, a good friend of mine remarked that they’d never had a d’Arenberg wine that hadn’t disappointed them. Thinking about it for a second, I almost agreed, but then thought back to a fortified Shiraz that wasn’t at all bad, and of course their cheap white wine usually isn’t bad either. Which brings me to the three bottles of The Dead Arm that have been languishing in my cellar for years. I wouldn’t have ordinarily bought them, but a wine shop in southern California somehow managed to score a few cases at a closeout price of roughly half what they usually cost. Of course, the reviews at the time were universally middling, but I figured what the heck: surely this is just idiosyncratically good and therefore confusing, right?On the nose, there’s lots of sweet cherry fruit along with a dirty eucalyptus mint that’s hinting at the bottle age this wine’s racked up over the last few years. Rich, candied meat also shows itself eventually, as well as a distinct medicinal tang not unlike St. Joseph’s children’s aspirin (think oranges spiked with embalming fluid). There’s also a subtle supporting note of quality wood, which sets it all off rather well, I think. At this point in the wine’s evolution, it schizophrenically struts between thick, rich, young Aussie red and older, mature, claret. It’s entertaining.The entry on the palate is at first remarkably shut down, and then the acids hit you: huge, grabby, shocking acids. It’s all surprisingly rustic and more suited to a cheap vin du pays d’Oc than an often-hyped, fairly expensive Aussie shiraz. Then, it all dies off with a whimper. What was that? Another mouthful reveals a midweight palate, along with generic, unidentifiable fruitiness, the same surprising acidity, a bit of bottle age, and then… bupkus. Eventually, some gum-assaulting, drying tannins show up as well as a bit of funkiness, but even that’s curiously half-assed. With some time and air, it started to resolve itself a bit more in terms of its flavor profile, but honestly? This wine probably wasn’t a good deal even at half price, and it seems to be drying out and dying at the moment.d’Arenberg

Price: US $24.99 (distributor closeout; current release is US $54.99)
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: December 2007—On second thought, about ninety minutes later, I realized that this wine actually is displaying a low level of cork taint, which is a bummer. A lot of the muted flatness is more likely the result of TCA; it’s clear to me now that it’s difficult to distinguish between “bottle age” and TCA, at least for me. I’m glad to see that d’Arenberg have moved to screwcaps for some of their production, but it’s too late for me – no way to return this wine given its age, and it’s on its way to the recycle bin, alas.

The Black Chook Shiraz Viognier 2006

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The modern, and painfully fashionable, Shiraz Viognier blend exists on a knife edge, stylistically. Too much Viognier and the wine, for my taste, slips into clumsy territory, the extroverted Viognier dominating partner Shiraz and creating a wine of cloying obviousness (if that is even a word). The right amount, however, adds perfume and mouthfeel and complexity that is quite rewarding. What can we expect from a McLaren Vale blend of these varieties selling for about $A17?Alas, a whole bunch of dried apricot and boiled lollies. On the nose, dried apricot, bright red fruit and, well, not a lot else. The aromas have a confected and slightly thin character that feels, to me, a bit industrial. The palate shows more of the same, with slightly less apricot and a whole lot of bright red fruit, wrapped up in a medium bodied palate that lacks significant structure or direction. Rather, it’s an easygoing wine of generous, though again rather confected, fruit flavour, nothing too heavy or challenging. Mouthfeel is slippery. The wine sort of disappears away on the finish; not that it dies prematurely, but rather it simply fails to register anything notable as it slides to a close. I didn’t like this wine much, as the bright, sweet fruit flavours were, for my taste, not balanced out by structure or any savouriness of flavour. I should note, however, that the other half rather liked it. I’d serve this wine at BBQs, and make sure it was a bit below room temperature.Ben Riggs (winemaker)Price: $A17Closure: StevinDate tasted: December 2007

Suxx 2006

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Don’t laugh, but I sniffed this the second I unscrewed the cap and thought whoa. What is this, Gucci for Men? It’s got a full on nose of sandalwood, with a curious scent of camphor and velvet as well. I’ve never smelled a wine like this before. How the hell did they make this stuff? It’s just so huge, so jammy… amazing, and somehow floral as well. Raspberries and roses?It’s so dark that it looks like it should be in a Mont Blanc bottle. Taste-wise, it’s again pretty damn big: brooding, dark, earthy, and with an almost medicinal, herbal, minty edge to it. Amazingly, it doesn’t feel particularly alcoholic, which is a huge surprise given that this is supposedly in the 16-17% range: the finish is not hot, but very well balanced and exceedingly smooth, tapering off into a woodsy, sweet trail of incense and spice. It all works surprisingly well.SuxxPrice: US $16.99Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Panarroz 2005

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Pine-Sol, turpentine, and shoe leather came to mind when I first smelled this wine, but then I realized that no one wants to drink anything that smells like the toilets at summer camp. Therefore, let me revise that to pine needles, dirt, rich Corinthian leather, and dark red raspberries. There’s also a whiff of smoke, tar, and black cherry there as well – it’s a fairly complex nose for a wine this cheap. With some air, it started to tend towards cedar shavings (hamster cage?) and blueberry – very impressive, really.

In the mouth, it’s rich, meaty, and chunky, with a prominent streak of savory acidity at the back of it all. What does it taste like? Well, that’s hard to say: it’s a little bit like lavender and meatloaf, somehow. On the finish, you’re treated to firm, drying tannins and then a soft, gentle trail-off of sweet bacon and chocolate. It’s all very appetizing and thank God it’s Friday night because I’m probably just going to stay at home and polish off the bottle with the neighbors.

Panarroz
Price: US $6.99
Closure: Cheesy plastic cork
Date tasted: November 2007

Cape Barren Native Goose McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005

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A slightly dicey restaurant wine list last night led to the selection of this wine, its merit being primarily that we hadn’t tasted it before. McLaren Vale, Shiraz, 2005: so far so good.

Fruit-forward, slightly thin aromas greet the nose with enthusiasm, but there’s something a bit icky and confected about the red fruit. I would describe it as an easy, commercial style. Not much oak influence. The palate is medium bodied and quite linear, introducing more confected, bright red fruits to the middle palate and, less successfully, some rather harsh, disjointed acid. This continues on through the after palate to a finish that is marked by a few, slightly coarse and uneven tannins.

We had this wine with pizza and it went quite well, although the acidity remained a bit rough and ready despite the food. It’s just not a very interesting wine, frankly, although there’s nothing especially wrong with it either. I can’t detect much regionality in its flavour profile, which for me is a particular shame as I’m fond of the dark chocolate and earth overtones often found in McLaren Vale Shiraz. Drink if you don’t want to be challenged.

Cape Barren
Price: $A20
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007

Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz 2006

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I loved the previous vintage of this wine, so it was with some anticipation that I opened this bottle, the current vintage.

Tyrrell’s has really been hitting its straps on the red wine front of late, with some sensational ’03s, ’05s and even some good ones from the problematic 2004 vintage (I really enjoyed the 2004 Vat 5 NVC Shiraz). This wine struck me as rather different to the 2005. Whilst my last bottle of ’05 was extravagantly fragrant, this one was a little more reserved.

Actually, on opening, it was a bit stinky (sulfur?), and it took a few minutes of swirling to help this blow off and reveal clean, slightly stewy red, plum-like fruit with savoury spices. The wine’s entry promises greater things, with its smooth and elegant delivery of the wine’s middle palate. It is here that the wine finally starts to sing, the same slightly odd plummy fruit gaining in intensity and sweetness. The palate is medium bodied and quite dense in flavour, mouthfilling without being heavy at all. The wine’s acidity also contributes some freshness in the mouth and a nice sourness to the flavour. For my taste, the acidity is a bit too relaxed in character, even though it’s quite “present” in quantity. Tannins are fine and not especially dominant, so it is primarily acid that is left to carry the wine through an after palate and finish of satisfying length.

This is a lovely wine of elegant structure and generous flavour, but for me there’s a slight question mark over the stewed character of the fruit. I prefer the 2005 on the basis of this bottle. I will, however, follow the evolution of this wine with interest. I note it continued to gain in intensity and complexity as we worked our way through the bottle, and went very well with our dinner of steak and vegetables.

Tyrrell’s
Price: $A32 (early release, cellar door)
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2007

Plantagenet Shiraz 2000

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Heady, rich cedary blackberries and dusty book leather hit you the moment you pull the cork from the bottle. It’s obvious that this is not a young wine: there’s a bit of wateriness at the rim, and the color is a bit faded there as well, although the drink itself still looks fairly youthful.

In the mouth, this wine doesn’t really taste at all like it did five years ago: it’s calmed down into something entirely different. There’s a little bit of spiciness, and (thankfully) the fruit is still holding in there, but secondary flavors of peat and wood are beginning to dominate. It all still works fairly well, but it’s clear that the wine is probably on its way out – if you have any of this, you’d do well to drink up now while it’s still fairly good. I imagine that another year or two is all that’s left in this, and to be frank I’m sad that I didn’t drink it while it was young (I tasted this wine at the tasting room in the winter of 2002 and it was at that point one of the most stunning wines I’ve ever tasted). Still, it’s a beautiful example of an aged Australian shiraz at this point, and if you prefer your wines aged, this is as a good ‘un.

Plantagenet
Price: US $20
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2007

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