Ranked #3 of 24 2005 Shiraz from Clare Valley
92/100
4 Stars
Huon Hooke
Medium dark red purple: very good colour for age. Rich, vibrant, youthful, but fairly oaky nose. Lashings of vanillan/charry oak. Rich, deep, full-bodied and lush in its palate flavours. Oak is high but not unbalanced. Generous. Lots of everything, fruit included, and it works. Like to see this in a few years: it will age well.
Tasted: 25/01/2009
Drink: N/A
88 Points Robert Parker
The 2005 Shiraz Copper Trail was aged in a mix of new and one-year-old French oak for 24 months. Saturated purple in color, the nose reveals notes of violets, spice box, blueberry, and licorice. This leads to a medium to full-bodied wine with a solid core of peppery blue fruits and enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. This restrained, nearly elegant effort will be at its best from 2010 to 2018.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Jay S Miller. February, 2009
94 Points James Halliday
Great colour and depth; a rich, supple, round medium- to full-bodied palate; fleshy and blackberry and plum fruit; ripe tannins. Drink to 2020.
James Halliday. July, 2021