I liked the 2003 version of this wine, so opened this with high expectations. A pleasing colour – a vibrant red with splashes of purple. The nose is full-on, with black fruits, spice, milk chocolate, vanilla and earth, cinnamon, and a bit of volatile acidity. It just smelled like a ...

This is one of our house reds, and it is about time I wrote a note on it. And with a flick of the wrist, I was into the bottle. Aromas of black fruits, tar, fruitcake and a bit of spirit. The palate showed blackberries, spices and baked earth, and ...

I tried this in-store recently and liked it, so I bought a bottle. I also bought their “Rimage” Syrah 2004, Tête de Cuvée, and will try this soon I reckon. Anyway, back to the standard Shiraz: red cherries and plums, black pepper, creamy oak, smoke and green peppercorns. The palate shows bright red fruits and pepper, matchstick and cream, a certain fullness without any overripe characters...

The 2005 vintage for Hunter Valley shiraz is looking as good as any I can remember and this is most certainly the best Meerea Park Shiraz Viognier to date. It is also the first release to be co-fermented with the viognier (5 percent) and what a difference it makes. Aged in French oak (10% new ... . Beautiful texture. Medium to full bodied. Long earthy blueberried finish. Killer value. Shiraz...

The Rayner Shiraz comes from 50 year old vines located in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale.Aged in 80% American and 20% French oak. Aromas of plum/cherry, soil, toasty vanilla/coconut/choc oak and a touch of eucalypt. Opened up a bit charry and reduced but this vanished after ... 2004 McLaren shiraz. Sweet red fruited finish of good length. Give it a good couple of hours...

I have tasted this wine a few times now. Once blind in a line-up of 2004 Hunter shiraz and another time blind (me this time, not the wine) at a dinner in the barrel hall at the winery. Aromas of plum, blackberry and earth with a layer of cinnamon toast and vanilla oak. Highly perfumed. It’s a lovely smelling wine where the combination of sweet dark fruit, earth and spice works very well...

This one is an individual vineyard wine from Meerea Park, in particular the Ivanhoe vineyard in Pokolbin. Terroir rules. Classy blackberry and sweet earth, char grilled sausages, a touch of herbs and matchstick, and toasty vanilla. The palate balances sweet black cherries and spice with quite a bit of oak, ...

The 2005 Gorge shiraz comes from the Pothana vineyard in the Belford sub-region of the Hunter Valley. The shiraz vineyard soils have red clay loam with weathered limestone sub soil. The vines are 12 years old, yielding only 2 to 3 tonnes per acre. Aged in older oak. Aromas of plums and berries, earth, Dutch licorice, smoke and pepper. A classic Hunter. On the palate medium bodied with berry...

This must be about the oldest current release wine on the market. That sentence did not really come out quite the way I wanted, but I am trying to say it has a fair bit of bottle age on it for a current release. I really like the 1999 Barossa shiraz vintage too. Aromas of berries, aniseed, mint ... shiraz...

This is third in the pecking order of Mount Langi shiraz so it gets the chirpy little name of ‘Billi Billi’. Not an enigmatic name like ‘Ghiran’ or a dangerous exciting name like ‘Cliff Edge’. Oh well I’ll bloody well show them puffed little Billi Billi… Aromas of dark cherry, licorice, flowers ... . Sour cherry finish with a slightly tinny character on the end. Good bright well priced shiraz...