Wines and Beyond

Red Wine by Yalumba from Barossa Valley, Australia. Yalumba The Octavius has established a reputation as one of Australia's icon Shiraz wines, an amazing feat considering the first release was the 1990 vintage. In addition to being sourced from a number of very old vineyards in the Barossa, The Octavius is matured in American oak octaves of 90 liters capacity. It is the only red wine in the world that is matured in such small barrels. The secret of the wine not becoming overpowered by the oak lies in the wood which is seasoned at Yalumba's own on-site cooperage for eight years before the octaves are crafted. Yalumba The Octavius 2003 is very dark, impenetrable, deep black purple red in colour. A fine nose of ripe dark fruits, plums, prunes and licorice exudes scents of violets, dark chocolate and espresso. A smooth, silky textured palate seamlessly integrates inky black berry flavours. Beautifully refined with supple tannins, this is a wine of outstanding poise, elegance and length.

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. A black, sexy beast, the 2004 Syrah Brookman (aged in 50% new French oak) offers up amazingly full-bodied, intense, blackberry fruit intermixed with notions of roasted coffee, flowers, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied, rich, beautifully textured, opulent, and long, it should drink well for 10-15 years. It appears to be slightly more forward than it was last year. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Guigal from Rhone, France - Rhone. Only 200 cases made. A successful effort for the vintage, the 2004 St.-Joseph Vignes des Hospices exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, crushed rocks, flowers, licorice, and a hint of tapenade. Rich, medium-bodied, and concentrated, this is a stunning success for a vintage such as 2004. It should drink well for a decade. -Wine Advocate 90-92

Red Wine by Wolf Blass from Barossa Valley, Australia. Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz is the ultimate expression of their winemakers' masterful skills, showcasing a blend of the finest parcels of fruit from selected South Australian vineyards. Made in extremely limited quantities from low yielding vines, Wolf Blass Platinum Label is, quite literally, the pick of the crop, a wine crafted to epitomize the best of vintage, variety and vineyard. Wolf Blass Platinum Label 2003 Shiraz is deep purple in color. The lifted, fragrant nose shows spicy, ripe berry and dark chocolate characters. The palate is elegant, rich and concentrated, with complex layers of blackberry, freshly ground coffee and spice supported by integrated, smoky oak, a seamless, balanced structure and long, fine tannins. Enjoy with rare-roasted eye filet of beef, venison or kangaroo. This wine's aromas may well draw you in, black and electric with mineral tension. Then the flavor delivers with sliver-thin layers of earthy complexity. This is a wine for the long haul, its gritty Barossa power restricted by French oak aging. The potential is there, as is the polish to decant it now for lamb. -Wines & Spirits

Red Wine by Yalumba from Barossa Valley, Australia. Yalumba The Octavius has established a reputation as one of Australia's icon Shiraz wines, an amazing feat considering the first release was the 1990 vintage. The 2002 vintage was exemplary. The weather remained mild and dry over the long ripening period - in fact the month of January experienced the lowest day temperatures on record. The end result was wines with great color, varietal flavors and intensity. Yalumba The Octavius Barossa Shiraz 2002 is vibrant deep ruby red in colour. Deep, dark, brooding aromas of plum, blackberry and chocolates are lifted by nuances of ground coffee, licorice, violets and cassis. Soft, velvety and sumptuous, the palate is a voluptuous concoction of blackberries, cherries, dark chocolates and creamy vanilla oak, all framed by tight knit tannins. The length is remarkable and the balance exceptional.

Red Wine by Grant Burge from Barossa Valley, Australia. With Meshach I am seeking the epitome of the Barossa shiraz style - a big, powerful, intensely rich and robust dry red with the potential to age for 20-25 years and develop enormous complexity. I regard this as the most complete Meshach I have yet released. It shows great length and huge intensity on the mid-palate, with a dry finish but not any sign at all of harshness. Made from vines in Burge's Filsell Vineyard that are nearly 100 years old, this is one of Barossa's gems. In this warm vintage it's ripe and gooey, dense with delicious cherry pie, blackberry and licorice flavors that persist through a long, glorious finish. Has depth and presence, a real candidate for triumph after long-term cellaring. Best after 2011. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Henschke from Barossa Valley, Australia. In 1912, Ronald Angas planted the sandy loam slopes of Mount Edelstone with Shiraz. Located high in the Eden Valley region this vineyard came to be known as Mount Edelstone meaning gemstone. The 90-year-old ungrafted dry-grown vines from this historic single vineyard are low yielding, producing a depth of color, concentration of flavor, length and maturity of tannins unique to old-vine Shiraz. Mount Edelstone has achieved a formidable reputation since its first vintage in 1952. Deep crimson in color. Sweet ripe plum, anise and blueberry aromas with earthy/dusty hints, gentle ferny characters, spicy cedary oak and eucalypt. Sweet, juicy and ripe on the palate with a fleshy texture, good structure and depth, firm ripe tannins and a long rich finish.

Red Wine by Giaconda from Victoria, Australia. The 2004 vintage was an exceptional year for reds; dry, cool weather produced wines that delivered power, finesse and complexity at much lower alcohol levels. In short, ripeness without sweetness, power without the heavy cloying hand of overripe fruit and alcohol. Warner Vineyard Shiraz is the outstanding red wine of the vintage. Superior in every way to those trail blazing shirazes from 2001 and 2002. This wine breaks new ground. Color: Deep, intense, vibrant with magenta to black hue. Bouquet: Brooding; aromas of black cherry. Sechzuan pepper, spices, smoked meats, briary forest floor notes and graphite erupt from the glass. Aromatically stunning. Palate: Powerful and savory; tightly coiled with fine savory tannins and acidity working in with the graphite characters to produce a tensile wine. An explosion of flavors at the end; black cherry, pepper, smoked meats and briar notes concluding with a lone dry savory finish. Bright-hued violet color. Explosive and utterly captivating on the nose, showing pure cassis, blueberry, wild strawberry, cola, sassafras, espresso, mace violet and magnolia. The palate displays a full range of shiraz (or syrah) flavors: blackcurrant, blackberry, candied cherry and plum, cured tobacco, smoked meat, roasted coffee-you name it. Sweet as can be but there's superb focus and energy, too. Finishes sweet, lush and long, with fine-grained tannins slowly emerging to provide grip and structure. -International Wine Cellar

Red Wine by Tardieu-Laurent from Cote Rotie, France - Rhone. Very darkly coloured, we are back to a most typical Style of Cote-Rotie both on the nose and in the mouth. Violet and liquorice are dominant. The aftertaste impresses by an intense mineralite - mine de crayon. Terroir: Landonne, Moulin, Chavaroche, Vaillere from vines over 50 years old. Ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose combines bright raspberry and redcurrant scents, a strong violet note and subtle mineral tones. Fresh, silky and sweet, with brisk red fruit flavors carrying impressively through a long, juicy, gently tannic finish. This is delicious right now. -International Wine Cellar

Red Wine by Mollydooker from McLaren Vale, Australia.

Red Wine by Brokenwood from McLaren Vale, Australia. Graveyard Shiraz has established itself as one of Australia's most sought-after red wines, displaying the best characteristics of super-premium Hunter Shiraz. Excellent color with youthful tints and quintessential Hunter Valley aromas: charry briarwood, clove and red cherry. Good weight to the palate, initially firm tannins but then red berry and spice flavors. Excellent structure that has earthy, briary, savory characters and grape/oak tannins. Developed characters should start to appear around the seven-year mark.

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. The 2004 Liandra Syrah, highlights the quality of the fruit that is produced from 100 year old vines, planted on a soil of clay and sand. Inky, glass staining purple in color, this wine is polished and aristocratic. Expansive floral bouquet of boysenberry, candied plum and kirsch. A generous expression of bright dark berries, cinnamon, subtle bacon and eucalyptus, gliding into a long, open finish.

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. The 2004 Moritz Syrah highlights the quality of the fruit that is produced from thirty-one year old vines, planted on a soil of ironstone. Dense dark purple in color the wine exhibits aromas of blueberry, black currants, cassis and game. On the palate, the wine is a mouthful of plums, blueberries, cured meat; finishing rich, silky and round. It comes across as a blend of Cornas and Hermitage. ...Gorgeous aromas of flowers, blueberries, cassis, and meat jump from the glass of this cuvee. With huge body and a rich, intense style, Bratasiuk claims it is his hypothetical blend of a Cornas and Hermitage, although it possesses more fruit than most of those wines. It should drink well for a minimum of 15 years. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Jean-Luc Colombo from Cornas, France - Rhone. Grape Varieties 100% Syrah from very old vines (90+ years). Bouquet The nose is complex with both floral and fruity flavors. Taste On the palate, flavors of black fruit, blackcurrants and herbs dominate, accented by a touch of vanilla. A solid, concentrated wine that will continue to evolve for at least two decades. Serving Suggestions This wine will match perfectly with steak and most game meats.

Red Wine by Jean-Luc Colombo from Cornas, France - Rhone. Grape variety: 100% Syrah from very old vines (90+ years) Color: Inky black Bouquet: The nose is complex with both floral and fruity flavors. Taste: On the palate, flavors of black fruit, blackcurrants and herbs dominate, accented by a touch of vanilla. A solid, concentrated wine that will continue to evolve for at least two decades. Serving suggestions: This wine will match perfectly with steak and most game meats. Toastier, with cedary components and dark flavors of espresso and black olive. This is very firm, dense and muscular - the essence of concentrated Cornas opening with air to show more floral notes. Hold 10 years or more. -Wine Enthusiast

Red Wine by Two Hands from McLaren Vale, Australia. Color: Dense, dark purple plum. Aroma: Gloriously generous fruit with subtle complimentary overtones of vanilla spice; enhancing, rather than dominating, the wonderful spicy plum fruit of this wine. Taste: Rich juicy fruit. Delicious and distinctive mocha, chocolate and sweet plum characters. Backed by a lush, plush mouthfeel laced with an underlying black pepper spice and a silky tight tannin structure.

Red Wine by Two Hands from South Australia, Australia. The Garden Series is a Super Premium range of six Shiraz from six of the finest Shiraz producing regions in Australia. Sophie's Garden reflects the unique terroir of Padthaway. Color: Almost black at the core with a purple rim. Aroma: Aromatic bouquet that resonates with cooler climate tones of aromatic spice and mint. Taste: Behind the perfumed aromatic fruit aromas and clove, pepper spice is a powerful intense wine, rich and full bodied. Grainy but fine tannins mingle with the rich plum and blackberry fruit characters.

Red Wine by d'Arenberg from McLaren Vale, Australia. Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly affects vineyards all over the world. Often vines affected are severely pruned or replanted. d'Arenberg believes that this is a natural part of vineyard life. One half, or arm of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side may be lifeless and brittle, but the grapes on the other side display amazing intensity. Vintage 2005 could be summarized as a vintage that ripened without interruptions. The resulting wines are tight with amazing red fruit fragrance and lovely acidity. Crops yields were above average although slightly under the 2004 vintage. Only the best barrels of Shiraz are selected to be bottled as The Dead Arm. The 2005 Dead Arm displays intense cedar, fig, blackberry, blueberry, and pepper aromas. Perfectly structured with a long and rich framework, it will yield this wine great aging power. After time in the bottle, the Dead Arm gains a biscuity, cinnamon, caramel and eucalyptus based bouquet on top of rich blackberry pie smells. Tobacco, mushroom, malt, spice and earth flavors play a complementary part on the long, fleshy finish.

Red Wine by Jean-Luc Colombo from Cornas, France - Rhone. Grape veriety: 100% Syrah from 70+-year-old vines. Bouquet: Powerful, rich and complex, with aromas of black fruit and hints of chocolate and licorice. Taste: Harmonious and elegant, La Louvee exhibits outstanding concentration and a long, lingering finish. Enjoyable in youth, it has the potential to mature and evolve for another two decades or more. Serving suggestions: This Cornas pairs perfectly with beef, game, truffles and mushroom-based dishes. Strongly ferrous and minerally, with blackberry and blueberry fruit. There's no evidence of the fragility of some 2004 northern Rhones. This is rich, concentrated and meaty, yet creamy, with supple tannins. Very flattering, with a long finish. This should age well. -Wine Enthusiast

Red Wine by Alain Voge from Cornas, France - Rhone. Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2007! Really zesty, with lots of red currant and bramble notes bouncing ahead of dark olive and sage flavors. The structure is briary on the finish, with an encore of red fruit and mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2017. Wine Spectator 93 Points

Red Wine by Eric Texier from Cote Rotie, France - Rhone. 100% Syrah from vines that are 40-70 years old. Cote Rotie has a long and illustrious history with numerous enthusiasts worldwide. In the eighteenth century, Thomas Jefferson visited Cote Rotie while he was America's ambassador to France and described the wine region as a string of broken hills extending a league on the river from the village of Ampuis to the town of Condrieu. Jefferson had become an expert on wine after traveling to all of the major wine regions within France, Italy and Germany to taste, discuss and buy wine. And his personal pleasure in wine was clear: Good wine is a daily necessity for me, he wrote. During his visit Jefferson purchased Cote Rotie, having it bottled and put in wooden cases for shipment to his home in Paris. And in 1787 he wrote about his Cote Rotie wines: There is a quality which keeps well, bears transportation and that cannot be drunk under four years. Eric's Cote Rotie is a rich and velvety wine reminiscent of the elegance found in Burgundian Pinot Noir. A perfumed and intense nose of cassis and smoky bacon fat with hints of violet combined with the crisp acidity and fine tannins build a complex and perfectly balanced palate for this sensational wine. You can easily expect Eric's Cote Rotie to age gracefully from 10 to 20 years.

Red Wine by Henry's Drive from South Australia, Australia. The Reserve Shiraz, from an exceptional single vineyard block in Padthaway, immediately impresses with its elegant and powerful aromas of eucalyptus; redolent of towering red gum, fresh violets and roses in bloom. The palate has a rich layer of sweet, concentrated berry fruit and dark chocolate, intermingled with mocha, coffee and spicy cedar oak. Silky and luxurious tannins are superbly balanced to create a lingering finish that remains in the mouth for some time.

Red Wine by Three Rings from Barossa Valley, Australia. Vintage Comments: Classic Barossa vintage conditions. An average wet Spring followed by extreme heat in early February. Occasional rainfall events kept the vines in good balance up to harvest in late March 2004. Very good quality coupled with good average yields. More than 30 months in wood followed by six months tank maturation of the blend prior to bottling, July 2007. Tasting Notes: Rich, ripe complex Barossa floor Shiraz. Aromas of chocolate and Christmas cake intermingled with ulta-ripe red berry fruit, Blackberries and smoky notes from the oak maturation.

Red Wine by Sequel from Columbia Valley, Washington. John Duval is the winemaker who for fifteen years presented Australia with its most celebrated wine, Penfold's Grange. This is a deep, dark Syrah loaded with aromatic dark chocolate and black cherries. Lush and concentrated with a perfect balance of richness and acidity that brings the wine to life. Taking advantage of the Columbia Valley's diverse growing region, John worked with a variety of top Washington State Syrah vineyards to build a layered, complex wine. The Horse Heaven Hills' Alder Ridge and Wallula Vineyards (40%) and Red Mountain and the surrounding area vineyards (24%) give the wine concentration, richness, dark fruit colors and flavors. Yakima Valley vineyards (15%), including grapes from the well-known Boushey Vineyard, bring balance to the wine and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sagemoor's Dionysus Vineyard in Pasco enhances the wine's structure and adds dimension.

Red Wine by Torbreck from Barossa Valley, Australia. A blend of 44 year old Eden Valley Shiraz vines and 80 year old Barossa Shiraz, the Struie is aged for 18 months in a combination of old and new French oak barriques prior to bottling. Its dense color is accompanied by a fragrant bouquet comprising blackberry, pepper and licorice aromas, and a rich, silky mouth feel. The Struie greatly rewards those with the patience to carefully cellar it.

Red Wine by Philip Shaw from Australia. 99% Shiraz, 1% Viognier A deep bloody velvet color with aromas of lively white pepper and warmed aniseed. The many layers of aromas continue to reveal more. On the palate, dark plums are driven by a richness of silky ripe tannins. All in harmony and well balanced. This wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to 20 years. Numbered for the year in which was planted. Shiraz is my most challenging, yet rewarding variety. The vines grow like crazy - producing tiny, flavour packed berries. I'm constantly trying to tame this wild child, yet am amazed by its power. No. 89 is the complete opposite to the general perception of Australian Shiraz. It's both powerful and refined and framed with fine grain tannins.- Philip Shaw

Red Wine by Brokenwood from McLaren Vale, Australia. Grown in deep sand, this is an amazing vineyard in that it is only 9 years old, but planted with cuttings sourced from a very old local vineyard and own roots. A blend of American and French oak with a subtle balance of vanilla and spice, all up, 20 months in oak. Intense dorris plum and blackberry jube fruit dominate the nose. Classic McLaren Vale Christmas cake and brandy snap combine with licorice and subtle tannins to give a full flavored palate with length and persistence. Very distinctive and complex and more than qualifies for the Single Vineyard label. This Shiraz pairs very well with beef.