Royal Sydney Wine Show Tasting Part 4 - Shiraz

As the reviled/revered Robert M Parker Jr did say, it is Shiraz that produces (Australia’s) greatest wines. The wines on display at the Sydney Royal Wine Show tasting strongly emphasise this point.


2006 Mt Pleasant Maurice O'Shea -15.5 and a Bronze - sweaty saddle, typically savoury, meaty, tannic. Strong, but not overpowering oak, chocolate on palate, nice sour finish with bit of liquorice. Will age well.
2005 Mt Langi Ghiran “Langi” 18.7 Gold – deserved the rating, beautiful dark crimson colour, spice and aniseed/liquorice with some meatyness on the nose. Soft, round and supple in the mouth, full fruit sweetness from front to back palate, finishing long and smooth - superb wine.
2005 Saltram No 1 – 16.7 Bronze – Black and instantly recognisable SA colour. Savoury nose, possibly from the lack of a good decant? Fruit flavours not as obvious as you would expect, with oak a bit intrusive. Strong tannin and a slight dilute characteristic. 2006 received a deserved Gold and 18.5.
2004 d’Arenberg Dead Arm – 13.5 - black, sweet blackcurrent nose, bit of funkyness, good structure, lively fruit. Not great, but undeserving of the low rating (the 2007 received a 16.0 and Bronze, 2006 a 16.7 and Bronze in other categories).
2006 Seppelts Benno 18.5 Gold . Has all the characteristics of a red from the region (nice dark fruit and all-spice), though there are unmistakable,firm, ballsy tannins. Whether they soften with age will be the key to whether this wine gets even better.
2007 Seppelts St Peters Great Western– typical of the Great Western/Grampians wines tasted today – liquorice, aniseed, spice, black and blue berry. Nose a bit funky, though not overpowering.
2008 Best’s Great Western Thompson Family Shiraz – 16.0 Bronze – Very nice wine. Like the Bin 0 but more plummy, plush and gorgeous. Soft in mouth, finishing with loads of spice, drying tannin and ripe fruit.
2007 Meerea Park Hell Hole Shiraz – 15.2-More closed less pong but similar rounder less acidity than Alex Munroe. Clearly ‘of the Hunter’ while the single vineyard fruit adds some unique, atypical elements. Both this and the Alexander Munroe were top examples of Hunter Shiraz, and held their own amongst the other Shiraz being tasted.
Others – 2006 Trevor Jones Wild Witch – 18.5 Gold. Didn’t taste it on the day as the trophy hunters had guzzled it within an hour of the doors opening, though have had several of the WW over the years from different vintages. This wine is always of a very high quality, though it has been a few years since it has received a medal at this show – about time. No 2007 being made.
2005 Mount Pleasant OP&OH Shiraz – 13.8 – no tasting notes recorded, though we both have a few of these in the cellar and like the wine. On the day it was as we remembered – in no way a 13.8 wine. Quite a comical rating, but probably a result of the (hit and miss) Show rating system.