Icons of
Australian Shiraz 6pk - Australia's finest reds
The following six wines are, quite simply, some of Australia's most famous, most
revered and most collectable, with each one bringing with it a reputation for
long term ageability. What's more, each of these wines is sourced from a
solid (08) right through to a sublime (02) vintage for Shiraz in SA,
with current drinkability helped by welcome bottle ageing.
Quite simply,
if you enjoy South Australian Shiraz, these are the wines you need to
have in your cellar. But don't just take our word for it, read some of the
reviews, even google some prices to work out just how worthy these six wines
are. You won't be disappointed.
Six six packs available only.
Total pack valued at $1700+
This pack contains
the following wines:
Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2005 (Eden Valley,
SA)
96/100 Campbell
Mattinson, The Winefront
96/100 James Halliday, The Weekend
Australian
98/100 Ray Jordan, The West Australian
99/100 Nick Stock, Wine
100
99/100 Tony Love, The Adelaide
Advertiser
This wine is revered around the world, and really
needs no introduction.
James Halliday
When
the Hill of Grace vineyard was planted in the 1860s, Adelaide was only just over
20 years old – so when you drink Henschke Hill of Grace you are in some ways
drinking the history of European settlement in Australia or at least in South
Australia.
This year’s release sure smells interesting. Oyster shells and baked
bread, violets and crushed spice. It’s complex but not necessarily effusive, the
need for extra time in the bottle paramount. The palate though is a boom.
Glorious purity and condition. Plum jam, crushed violets, cedarwood and barrel
smoke. Velvety texture. Like grabbing handfuls of fresh blueberries and
boysenberries. Like drinking an Eden Valley summer. Tannin reaches nicely but
not necessarily elaborately through the wine, and it finishes with an exotic
aftertaste of soy and sesame. Hard to fault.
Campbell Mattinson,
The Winefront
"Magnificent, one of the
greats".
Tony Love, The Adelaide
Advertiser
"Archetypally perfect, this is a liquid national
treasure with 40+ glorious years ahead"
Nick Stock, Wine
100
Penfolds Grange
2002 (South Australia)
96/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine
Front
97/100 James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
97/100 Jeremy
Oliver
The 2002 Penfolds Grange Shiraz is a precise,
definitive, lattice-structured wine of great power and poise. This vintage is a
great example of what Grange is, and of how new American oak and rich South
Australian Shiraz can seamlessly combine to form a sophisticated whole. This is
not an over-powered wine, but it is beautifully powered, with a great push of
meat, plums, smoke, vanillin, cassis and bright, rich blackberries pouring
through your
mouth.
Its wealth of
fine-boned tannins is, though, what sets this wine apart, and gives it the best
long-term cellaring potential since the 1996 vintage Grange release. This should
be a 25+ year wine. It’s a classic example of precision wine engineering.
Combined with thumping, hedonistic, all-encompassing
flavour.
Campbell Mattinson, The
Winefront
'As hoped and expected;
beautiful colour; a wonderful bouquet, with black fruits of various kinds the
engine, oak in tow. Impeccable texture and balance in the mouth; again, a
wonderful array of seamless blackberry, licorice and high-quality oak; destined
to become recognised as one of the great Granges.
James
Halliday
Grant
Burge Meshach Shiraz 2005 (Barossa Valley, SA)
Blue gold medal
5 stars John
Lewis, Newcastle Herald
95/100 Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser
et al
96/100 James Halliday, The Weekend
Australian
"They say it is tough at the top… As a wine
writer (and collector) who has been fortunate to taste most of the Meshach
releases, the 2005 vintage seems to roll up those years of refinement into a
single package.."
Mike Burnett, Launceston
Examiner
I think the $145-a-bottle 2005 Meshach, reviewed
today in Wine List, is one of the best I have tasted.
John
Lewis, Newcastle
Herald
Grant Burge 'Filsell' Shiraz 2008 (Barossa
Valley, SA)
Grant's Filsell
vineyard with near century-old vines, is considered one of the best vineyards in
the Barossa Valley, and consistently produces fruit of great intensity and
concentration. Planted in the early 1920’s this vineyard also produces the fruit
for Grant’s flagship Shiraz, the highly acclaimed Meshach; with Filsell known to
loyal followers as the wines younger brother.
The 2008 Filsell Shiraz is
a little touch of magic- the wine has incredible depth of colour, almost black
with purple hues. The bouquet is a symphony of aromas with ripe blackberries,
ground cinnamon, vanilla, mocha tones and even a hint of freshly baked bread. A
touch of new leather is present and complimented with toasted cashew nuts, dark
chocolate, and subtle aniseed. A rich and abundantly complex palate, the Shiraz
is one of remarkable intensity and sumptuousness. With sweet forest berry fruit
flavours, dark chocolate and intense vanilla bean this lusciously rich and full
bodied wine shows all the best aspects of a classic Filsell. The rounded tannins
are beautifully structured to carry this rich and weighty wine with an
effortless grace through the mid palate to a long and elegant finish.
A wine
to be approached with both reverence and gusto, and well suited to be enjoyed
with sumptuous meal; the 2008 Filsell Shiraz will be excellent drinking on
release but will reward those with patience and careful cellaring up to 15
years.
Notes from
Grant Burge
"...Completing his latest red offerings are 2008
Filsell Shiraz, 2007 Balthasar Shiraz Viognier and newcomer 2005 Corryton Park
Cabernet Sauvignon — all passed the test with flying
colours!"
John Fordham, Sunday
Telegraph
'Leaner style, with licorice and plums lifting off
the nose and great concentration and length and persistence of lovely clean
varietal fruit flavours.'
5 stars, Winestate
Magazine
Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2005
(Barossa,
SA)
94/100
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
96/100 Jeremy Oliver
97/100
Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront
"This is a champion wine,
for the long haul."
Campbell Mattinson, The
Winefront
'A joyful, vibrant and supple Shiraz.."
Jeremy Oliver
"Velvety textured, supple,
ripe and succulent, this elegant effort is impeccably balanced and built for
pleasure".
Jay Miller, The Wine
Advocate
Henschke Mt Edelstone
2006 (Eden Valley, SA)
96/100 Gary Walsh, The Winefront
96/100 James
Halliday, The Weekend Australian
97/100 Jeremy
Oliver
'Mount Edelstone may not set
hearts racing in the same way as Hill of Grace, but it was the first label for
Henschke with the '52 vintage, Hill of Grace following in '58, and is a great
wine in its own right. Deep purple-crimson; the bouquet is intense and full of
spicy black fruits accurately foretelling the power and purity of the palate;
this is an outstanding Mount Edelstone. Indeed, I cannot remember any better
than this; it has the focus and structure to guarantee a 30-year future. Alas,
it will long outlive me.'
James Halliday
'A
joyful, traditional Eden Valley Shiraz with a touch of modern
polish.'
Jeremy Oliver