Kay Brothers Hiilside Shiraz 2015, McLaren Vale, Australia 🇦🇺

🍇 Shiraz 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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Very expressive nose with aromas of blackberries, black currants, stewed fruits, leather, raisins, cinnamon and toasty vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, rich texture, generous flavours, grainy tannins and fresh acidity. The finish is long, powerful with excellent depth of flavours.

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Once in a while you need to revisit an old favourite, like this delicious and flavourful wine. This is a classic Aussie Shiraz, a big wine for sure, with generous fruit, oak flavours still balanced and made without excess or jammyness. Unfortunately I have not been able to find this wine here in Victoria. This Shiraz was last purchased in March, during a visit to Calgary and former great place of work for me Kensington Wine Market.  Needless to say that I should have purchased more than this one bottle. Cheers my wine friends 🍷🙂

Paxton MV Shiraz 2011, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

This organic and biodynamic product is made with 100% Shiraz from four different vineyards, aging took place in a combination of new and old French and American oak, alcohol comes in at 14%.

This wine opened up with aromas of black cherry/plum fruit, bittersweet chocolate, cedar, black currants and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied with a rich and creamy texture, ripe fruit concentration, low acidity and grainy tannins. This finish is long with flavors of black fruit, exotic spices and espresso notes lingering. At this stage, this Shiraz needs grilled steak on the barbie to really shine but there is enough 'stuffing" here (fruit concentration, structure and tannins) that it should acquire some elegance over the next 3-4 years. Very good value, score 89 points.

Purchased August 17, 2013 LCBO Vintages New Release (327403) at $17.95  

Pirramimma Shiraz 2009, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

This wine is 100% Shiraz grapes from 30 years old vines with alcohol coming in at 15.5%. (No other info from the winery website)

Deep opaque violet in color, this Shiraz opened up with aromas of black fruit, chocolate, freshly roasted coffee beans, toasty, vanilla and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, robust, well structured by rich and concentrated flavours, low acidity and grainy tannins. Generous and intense flavour concentration on the finish. This is a big Shiraz in every way, big alcohol with equally big fruit concentration and oak treatment with still makes this wine balance. If opening this wine today, pair it with BBQ beef or lamb, but it certainly would improve with a further 4-5 years in your cellar. Score 88 points.

Purchased February 18, 2012 LCBO Vintages New Release (987784) at $26.95

Mitolo Savitar Shiraz 2008, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

 

This wine is 100% Shiraz, aged in 100% new medium to light toasted 80% French oak and 20% French coopered American oak for 17 months and alcohol is listed as 14.5% on the label but is advertised at 15% on the winery website.

Pouring a deep purple, this wines aromatics opened up with a bouquet of wild berries, blackcurrants, stewed plums, raisins, eucalyptus, incense, toasty and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied with a rich texture of layered dark fruit and spices, low acidity and velvet tannins. This Shiraz finish is robust with chocolate covered blueberries and vanilla spices flavours with slightly burning alcohol that leaves a lasting impression. I love both the superb aromatics and the rich mouthfeel but I would have to think that the alcohol is indeed at 15%, leaving you with a hot finish. This is a big imposing Shiraz, tailor made for steaks on the barbie. I would have enjoyed a little more elegance at this price, but still very enjoyable, scored 90 points.

Purchased June 9, 2012 LCBO Vintages New Release (659581) at $54.95



Ballast Stone Shiraz 2009, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

 

Here something you don’t see often, a full bodied, well balanced, delicious Shiraz under $20.00. This wine opened up with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, stewed plums, black licorice, chocolate, mint, eucalyptus and smoky cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied (with alcohol coming in at a generous 15%), and with alcohol this high, this wine is still well balanced by its richness of fruit, flavours,  texture, balanced acidity and fined grained tannins. Great length on the finish, with a rich creamy texture and ripe fruit lingering. Quit delicious and easily enjoyed. Drinking well now or over the next 4-5 years, score 89 points

Purchased November 24, 2012 LCBO New Release (167064) at $18.95

Coriole Vineyards Shiraz 2009, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

This is the 40th Anniversary release of their Shiraz, of estate grown fruit, their vineyard is on red brown earth over limestone, aged in French oak with alcohol coming in at 14%,

Beautiful deep purple in color, this Shiraz opens up with aromas of cherry, plum, dried raspberry, mocha, cedar and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, fairly extracted flavours of ripe plums/cherry, licorice, baking spices and cedar,  fresh acidity and fine silky tannins. This wine finish is intensely flavourfull, slightly creamy with excellent depth of flavours. Glad I purchased more than one bottle, because even if it is drinking well now, it will keep improving and will get more elegant and smoother over the next 3-4 years. Gorgeous wine and strongly recommended, score 91 points.

Purchased August 4, 2012 LCBO New Release (931600) at $26.95

D’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2007, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

It has been a few years since I have been able to enjoy D’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz (the last 2 vintages prior to 2007 did not receive great reviews) but in this 2007 vintage, this Shiraz achieved a nice balancing act between power and elegance. 

This Shiraz opens up with aromas of ripe berry fruit, black plums, black currants, violet, mint, cedar and savoury notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied (14.5% alcohol) rich and fruit driven with good acidity and grainy tannins. This wine will leave you with a very good impression, long finish with layers of creamy richness, fined grained tannins and savoury notes lingering. This Shiraz is well structured and very tasty, drinking well right now but has all the elements to improve over the next 3-4 years. Very enjoyable, score 92 points.  

Purchased November 27, 2010 LCBO New Release (981183) at $54.95

Brokenwood Shiraz 2009 McLaren Vale/Beechworth, South Australia/Victoria, Australia

This attractive Shiraz is a regional blend of fruit from the South Australia's regions of McLaren Vale (approximately 70%) and Beechworth (around 30%). This wine opens up with aromas of wild berries, plums, baking spices and cedar notes. On the palate, medium bodied, with alcohol coming in at 14.0%, a solid core of ripe fruit and sweet spices, lively acidity and rounded tannins. This Shiraz finish is medium length with flavours of plums, berries, vanilla and mild tannins lingering. This wine is not terribly complex, but it is very smooth, very enjoyable, almost too easy to drink. Enjoy now or over the next 3-4 years, recommended. Score 89 points.

Purchased April 14, 2012 LCBO New Release (265975) at $29.95

Tapestry BG & V Shiraz 2009, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

Here is a very enjoyable Aussie Shiraz which opened with aromas of dark plums - blackberry fruit, chocolate, and cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with alcohol coming in at 14%, very ripe and rich fruit but not overdone or jammy with velvet tannins. This Shiraz finish is long, creamy with rich concentrated flavours. Strongly recommended and a very good value for money. Score 88 points

Purchased on February 4, 2012 LCBO New Release (247155) at $17.95

Kilikanoon Parable Shiraz 2007, McLaren Vale, Australia

Here is a rich and well structured Shiraz with very intense aromas of black fruit, raisin, pepper, menthol and toasty oak. The mouthfeel of this full bodied wine is powerful and rich, almost creamy due to the ripe and rich fruit, roasted coffee and toasty oak flavours, fresh acidity, grainy tannins and alcohol coming in at 14.5%. Maturation took place in French and American oak for 24 months. Long, spicy and sweet concentrated finish. A big wine for sure, with generous fruit and oak flavours without excess or jammyness. Strongly recommended for lovers of this style. Score 92 Points.  

This wine was purchased November 12, 2011 LCBO New Release at $39.95.

Oliver's Taranga Vineyards HJ Reserve Shiraz 2006, McLaren Vale, South Australia

Still remembering how enjoyable Oliver Taranga Vineyard Shiraz 2006 was, I was tempted into purchasing this wine. Definitely a big and bold Aussie Shiraz. Gorgeous nose, smell like blackberry, stewed plums, fruitcake and mocha. The palate is rich, with dark chocolate, low acidity and silky tannins. The finish is medium lenght, sweet with chewy tannins. With about 1/4 left in the bottle, a lot of sediments is showing up. Decent wine, I wish I was drinking there Oliver Taranga Vineyard Shiraz 2006 instead. There is a lot of competition for Australian Shiraz at the $50 to $70 range. When you compare Oliver's Taranga Vineyards HJ Reserve Shiraz 2006 to D'Arenberg The Dead Arm, Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz, Charles Cimicky The Autograph Shiraz or Two Hands Garden Series, this Shiraz does not mesured up. May be better in a few years, was expecting much better, ovehall disappointing.

This wine was purchased throught LCBO February 2011 Classic Catalogue at $ 69.00 but now on sale at $ 45.95

Oliver Taranga Vineyard Shiraz 2006, McLaren Vale, South Australia

This wine has great aromatics; smoky bouquet of ripe blackberries, cherries, raisins, cassis and cloves. Medium to full bodied, rich texture, cherry blossom mouth feel with velvet tannins. Very nice wine, love the fruit concentration here and ready to drink. Last enjoyed March 19, 2011. 
Wine was purchased November 13, 2010 LCBO New Release at $39.95.