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Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

This smelled quite bloody at first, down right like an abattoir but with incredibly sweet spearmint, sassafras and sauteed mushroom notes that were deeply embedded in the gamy, slightly roasted, meat core of dark berry and dried fig fruit. On the palate this had a brilliant texture with bright acids balanced by a blanket of superb, soft tannins. The dark fruit presented itself with great precision possessing a lovely sweetness matched by the complex, layered notes of dried herbs, earth, tobacco and salted capers that drove through the long, powerful finish. 2009-2030 93pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Write your review here, and rate the wine from 1 to 5 glasses above.Low key on the nose with notes of raspberry coulis, tobacco, dried rose and roasted strawberry. This is gentle and feminine smelling with very subtle spicy earth tones. In the mouth this is quite velvety with a seamless quality to the slightly astringent red plum fruit. There is nice drive on the palate with a big licorice drive tone that completes the palate and adds length. This seemed to be very youthful though I can't discount the possibility that this suffered a bit of abuse along the way since the incredibly long cork was quite fully saturated though I did pick this up from a reputable shop in Germany. 2009-2024 92pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

This had as complete and complex a nose as we were going to see this evening. Redolent of dried spices, fresh rose petal, raspberry, black pepper and medicinal herbs in a nuanced, balance package. On the palate the tannins started out with a chewy edge but quickly revealed their ripeness as they melded into the sour raspberry and sour cherry core of fruit that had an inner mouth perfume hinting of peach. Lovely notes of rose and fruit linger on the long finish 2009-2022 93pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Wow was this ever rustic on the nose. Just packed with damp cellar scents, wet concrete, dried spices, wet animal tones, dirt, dried herbs, leather, limestone and espresso. On the palate this was brothy with a loose texture and supple tannins. The sour berry fruit tones were well balanced by classic notes of dried earth and herbs. This really did very well with food and had a long finish that gained clarity as the night progressed. Drink this up over the next several years. 88pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

This had aromas that just exploded from the glass with notes of veal, sour cherries, moist earth, minerals, sweet root vegetable tones and background notes of angelica root and sweet herbs. On the palate this had lovely structure, super-fine tannins paired with zesty yet integrated acidity that supported a rich core of sweet wild cherry fruit. There was a nice touch of mineral grab on the mid-palate that lead to a minerally, tarry, waxy finish of moderate length. This was just super friendly if a touch chunky and inelegant but it had wonderfully immediate appeal. 2009-2019 91pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Perhaps the surprise of the evening with a simply knockout array of aromatics. Classic notes of prosciutto fat, old Middle Eastern spice tones, smoke, leather, mint and minerals are all enmeshed in a precise core of crystallized red raspberry fruit. In the mouth this was fine but lacked the punch promised by the nose though there was plenty of rich, dark fruit with an almost salty mineral edge that added nice length to the wine. The tannins here are significant and pretty hard so while this will definitely benefit from some added time in the cellar to soften them I doubt they will ever actually resolve. A wine I would prefer to drink too early, while the fruit is still intact, than too late, when the tannins will be all that remains. Still a great bottle of wine to drink until 2019. 92pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Nice nose, spicy oak clove and ginger notes with a hint of black pepper, black cherry, lime leaf, anise seed, touch brambly. Sweetly fruited entry then puts on a fair amount of structure with lots of ripe tannins and balancing acidity. This is a touch spicy and has an accentuating note of vanilla over big grapey fruit with a touch of leather and earth on top. Nice finish is just a touch rustic and tannic but with good length and appealingly earthy tones and a touch of blueberry fruit and perhaps a whisper of chocolate on the powerful, raw finish 90pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Almost smells like it's got a bit of Pinotage in there with it's smoky, rubber tones but that may simply be some reductive funk as it begins blows off with air. Revealing tons of cracked pepper with some subtle soil and herbal tones adding detail to the tight, floral black fruits. A bit of a small nose but well balanced and complete. Really tight on entry with nice tannins and balanced acid but this is just a baby. There are nice black raspberry notes and that floral, forest floor from the nose is quite pronounced in the mouth but this feels and tastes closed. Clean and crisp on the finish. This seems to have all the pieces in place to emerge as a very well balanced Shiraz in 6-12 months but for now let it rest. 87pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Deep, sweet and immediately accessible, this shows plenty of jammy, spicy fruit with a floral, perfumed topnote that has well integrated notes of French oak. This is big and juicy with a surprising brightness to the flavors and texture. Spicy, floral and vanilla tones frame the sweet red berry fruit son the palate. The tannins are very soft and integrated though they give a touch of gab on the finish which has a lingering pomegranate tone. This is big, yet balanced, if a touch simple but with good purity of fruit. 88pts

Gregory Dal Piaz's Review:

Intensely Chocolaty on the nose with a spicy, tropical fruit/ orange peel tone and perfumed, brambly, juniper scented blackberry fruit. A bit chunky and even chewy in the mouth but with refreshingly raw tannins and nicely balanced acidity. The wine is a touch drying at this stage but is well balanced with a blackberry candy note on the mid-palate that contrasts with bitter chocolate, espresso and slightly medicinal notes lurking in the fruit. This feels a bit better than it tastes at this point but it can certainly improve with some age. 89pts