Ranked #43 of 57 2004 Shiraz from Barossa Valley
86/100
3 Stars
Huon Hooke
Medium dark red purple. Stemmy minty herbal, crushed-leaf/mint aspects to a raspberry, mulberry aroma. Choc-mint. Big and broad, lacks elegance but has weight, flavour, presence and guts. Grainy but supple tannins. Sweetish, almost porty middle palate. Almost a touch syrupy. Warm alcohol to finish. Lingers well.
Tasted: 14/09/2007
Drink: N/A
96 Points Robert Parker
The 2004 Shiraz R Reserve comes from the Greenock’s Crowhurst Vineyard as well as a small parcel in Vinevale. Aged 27 months in 100% new French 300 liter hogsheads, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, it is an opaque purple-hued, backward, but super-concentrated, full-bodied effort with enormous potential. I would not be surprised to see it age like a Hermitage from France’s Rhone Valley. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Robert M. Parker, Jr. October, 2006