2004 Barossa Valley Shiraz

Cask sample. I signed two lots of this wine, one from the east-facing Stonewell vineyard planted in 1996/7 and another from 1847 vines at Turkey Flat . Both were impressively sappy with life, but with a beautiful satin-smooth texture. The Turkey Flat fruit was like molten Christmas cake. (JR)

Co-fermented with 1% Marsanne, the fabulous 2004 Shiraz boasts a dense purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blackberries, toasty French oak, licorice, and new saddle leather. Full-bodied, rich, and heady, with loads of glycerin, silky tannin, and a blockbuster finish, it should be drunk over the next decade. Oct 2006, www.robertparker.com