Ranked #12 of 110 2014 Shiraz from Barossa Valley
95/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Second bottle: much better. Rich toasty oak and fruitcake bouquet, the palate very rich and dense but also supple and texturally approachable. Thickly-textured and decadently rich, with lashings of drying tannins and a long carry. It does need more time to build complexity and detail. A very smart, traditional big Barossa shiraz, but the cork issues with this vintage are a worry.
Tasted: 16/10/2020
Drink: 2020 to 2034
95 Points James Halliday
Hailing from plantings dating from 1893, this wine struts with a largesse and swagger of one comfortable in its skin. Opaque and foreboding at first sight, the wine is aromatically reticent. At least at the beginning. In time the monster bares a carnal soul, chockas with dark fruits of every description, cardamom and barbecued meats. Iodine sluices across the corpulent palate, licking it with a saline touch. Oak kicks in as the guardian for a long future. Spice provides punctuation. One for the boardroom. Drink to 2032.
Source: James Halliday.