Ranked #3 of 58 2004 Shiraz from McLaren Vale
96/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Very deep red colour, still with purple tints and no brick-red. Starting to mellow nicely, but still quite youthful with earth, olive, mint leaf aromas contributing to a great fragrance. Multi-faceted! Superbly fleshy intensity and length. This has elegance as well as grunt!
Tasted: 02/02/2012
Drink: 2012 to 2024
95 Points Robert Parker
The renowned 2004 Shiraz The Dead Arm, fashioned from ancient head-pruned vines, is stunning. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a glorious perfume of creosote/melted road tar, blackberry and cassis liqueur, pepper, and spice. This deep, rich, full-bodied, tannic Shiraz should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and will last for two decades or more. It is the finest Dead Arm since the 2001.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Robert M. Parker, Jr. October, 2006
94 Points James Halliday
Remarkably elegant and fine in the overall context of Dead Arm; black cherry and blackberry fruit with the mandatory chocolate; fine, soft tannins and controlled oak. Some suggestion of brett, which doesn't spoil the wine for me. Drink to 2019.
James Halliday. June, 2021
The renowned 2004 Shiraz The Dead Arm, fashioned from ancient head-pruned vines, is stunning. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a glorious perfume of creosote/melted road tar, blackberry and cassis liqueur, pepper, and spice. This deep, rich, full-bodied, tannic Shiraz should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and will last for two decades or more. It is the finest Dead Arm since the 2001. Source: Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) October, 2006 by Robert Parker