2003

2003 Amon-Ra (Glaetzer) Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Blueberries and pepper

Taste:  Earth tones with smooth tannins.  Not much ripe fruit.

Finish:  A lengthy finish with pepper evident.

Evaluation:  I would say this wine would need some cellar time and would open another one in 2008.  92 points currently

2003 Billi Billi McLaren Vale Shiraz $$

Color:  Inky purple

Nose:  Inky purple marker, big Asian spices and some heat

Taste:  Pepper, Asian spice and earth components

Finish:  Consistent with multi layering happening.  Spice, pepper and earth

Evaluation:  A solid wine that is well structured and should be a nice $20 wine to try to see what a good Aussie Shiraz is like.  89 points

2003 Clarendon Hills St. Moritz Shiraz $$$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Fruit and tar

Taste:  Earth with a tart element.

Finish:  Medium finish with a few elements intermixed but nothing blowing me away.

Evaluation:  Hard to justify the cost of the wine at around $80 retail.  Hopefully will improve with proper cellaring.  91 points

2003 D'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz/Viognier $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Tobacco, wood, spice

Taste:  Floral, mineral, spices, tobacco

Finish:  Floral, mineral, tobacco, and good concentration and acidity

Evaluation:  This wine has improved with some bottle aged.  Tasted February 2009 90 points

2003 Evans and Tate Shiraz $$

Color:  Dark Purple

Nose:  Pepper, spice

Taste:  Pepper, spice, and tannins are medium

Finish:  Medium with above flavors

Evaluation:  Simple, basic Shiraz.  83 points

2003 Gemtree Bloodstone Shiraz $$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Inky purple marker, earth, asian spice

Taste:  Inky purple marker, earth, plum, spice

Finish:  Licorice, spice

Evaluation:  A great value for a well made shiraz.  89 points

2003 Greenock Creek Alice’s Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Espresso, tar and earth

Taste:  Fresh tobacco, earth and not a ton of fruit at the moment.

Finish:  Medium to long with many elements above emerging.

Evaluation:  HOLD and you will be rewarded.  92 points currently

2003 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, floral

Taste:  Decanted due to high levels of sediment with floral, earth and spices

Finish:  Medium

Evaluation:  Not their best wine 86 points

2003 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz $$

Color:  Medium Purple

Nose:  Pepper, earth

Taste:  Some fruit showing through after four hours in the decanter but dominated by earth, spice notes.

Finish:  Medium

Evaluation:  This wine needs some cellar time and should show well especially for the $11 price.  I am going with potential in years to come with my score.  88 points

2003 Kaesler Stonehorse Barossa Shiraz $$$

Color:  Deep Inky purple

Nose:  Pepper, floral.

Taste:  Violets, crushed rock, pepper, exotic spices all combining together nicely.

Finish:  An inky texture thick initial finish but mellows out into some nice earth tones.  Buttery notes emerging after a minute.

Evaluation:  A tremendous value shiraz that should improve with a little cellaring but I don’t think long term as it is drinking really well.  Did not decant.  93 points

2003 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (4/24/2010)
Aussie Shiraz Wines at Kevin's; 4/24/2010-4/25/2010 (Minneapolis): Spice, floral and a bit of heat on the nose. Raspberry, cherry and pepper dominate the palate. I had this wine 4 years ago and loved it but it just didn't show as well tonight. (90 pts.)

2003 Kaesler The Bogan Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, cherry, plum

Taste:  Great fruits on the palate and some crushed rock and spice to boot.

Finish:  Buttery taste almost cabernet like.

Evaluation:  What a great wine and tied for Wine of the Night but the Tim Smith edged it out.  Aging this wine were looking into the top echelon of Aussie shiraz.  96 points

2003 Kaesler Shiraz Stonehorse - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (2/8/2010)
Dark purple. Nose senses some heat with blueberries, blackberries, floral and spices. Palate shows a bit too much alcohol. Spices, blackberries and floral notes. Finish off a bit. This wine is not showing well. (84 pts.)

2003 Leasingham Magnus Shiraz/Cabernet $

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Pepper and earth

Taste:  Spice, earth, cinnamon, and medium tannins

Finish:  Medium with spice and earth dominating

Evaluation:  Well done for the price.  86 points

2003 Marquis Phillips South Australia Sarah's Blend $$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Earth and currant

Taste:  Intense black pepper, spice box, plum

Finish:  Intense, complex with pepper and currant intermixing.

Evaluation:  A solid wine which has improved from a few years back.  90 points

2003 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (4/24/2010)
Aussie Shiraz Wines at Kevin's; 4/24/2010-4/25/2010 (Minneapolis): Heat on the nose!!! Charcoal, spice box and floral notes across the board. I will sample this day 2 and 3 and see if it improves but at 16% alcohol it shows really poorly. (87 pts.)

2003 Massena 11th hour Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Spice, black pepper, floral

Taste:  Spice, black pepper, some fruit

Finish:  Long and well balanced

Evaluation:  A solid wine but a little high for the price.  92 points

2003 Mitolo GAM McLaren Vale Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Medium hue

Nose:  red berries and a little musty.

Taste:  Pepper with little available fruit.

Finish:  Short.

Evaluation:  One problem with any high quality wine is that it will drink well and hit a “dumb phase” at some point but not always.  I had this wine back in January and it was amazing and potentially wine of the year for me but no formal notes were taken.  HOLD and DRINK AFTER 2007. 89 points

2003 Paringa Shiraz $

Color:  Dark Extreme Purple

Nose:  Floral and spice

Taste:  Thick with spice, floral and pepper

Finish:  Medium with chewy notes

Evaluation:  An in your face shiraz for under $10.  This should age well.  87 points

2003 Red Edge Victoria Heathcote Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Red bell pepper

Taste:  Truffles, pepper almost a little on the sour side.

Finish:  Medium with earth and pepper dominating.

Evaluation:  A well made wine but at $60 retail a little pricey.  90 points

2003 Tim Smith Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple with dense looking juice

Nose:  Mild alcohol, plum, floral, massive sensation you can smell across the room with crushed rock and cherry.

Taste:  Extremely dense and chewy with floral, raspberries, earth, pepper and exotic spices.

Finish:  Floral and crushed rock in this three minute plus finish that has buttery notes.  Later on pepper and exotic spices take over.  One of the most complex finishes I have ever experienced.

Evaluation:  For the $50 retail value this is the best QPR wine I have ever had!!!  400 cases of this were made and I am going to search for more ASAP.  This is my second bottle of this and my first official score in the 97-100 range.  97 points

2003 Torbreck The Factor Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Floral and spice

Taste:  Thick with floral, black pepper and spice

Finish:  Spice and pepper on this medium finish

Evaluation:  A little disappointing on the finish.  89 points

2003 Yalumba Barossa Valley Shiraz/Viognier $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Crushed rock, spice, violets,

Taste:  Spice, sweet fruit, crushed rock, violets

Finish:  Medium with spice, fruit, violets, crushed rock

Evaluation:  Great buy for under $15 90 points

2004

2004 Cimicky Reserve Shiraz $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Black pepper, spice, plum, currants

Taste: Plum, spice, black pepper and integrated tannins

Finish:  Short for an Aussie Shiraz but well balanced

Evaluation:  A smooth Shiraz.  92 points

2004 Green Point Victoria Shiraz $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Truffles, floral, mushroom, spice and plum

Taste:  Spice, floral, crushed rock, black pepper

Finish:  Floral, mushroom, spice, crushed rock

Evaluation:  One of the best values I have ever had.  Drink the same day as the next day it lost some of its luster.  93 points

2004 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Classic shiraz with floral, spice, and earth but not overpowering

Taste:  An elegant shiraz with distinct floral, earth, black pepper

Finish:  Long with the front being floral, earth, spice and black pepper kicking in after about 30 seconds

Evaluation:  This was purchased at under $20 at the Excelsior Vintage and is the best under $20 wine I have ever had.  93 points (Second try also 93)

2004 Groom Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Coffee, eucalyptus, roses, raspberry

Taste:  Floral, spices, blackberries, and coffee

Finish:  Concentrated and medium in length

Evaluation:  Really a nice wine sampled 09 92 points

2004 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Red $

Color:  Medium

Nose:  Weak fruit

Taste:  A little noticeable fruit but very one dimensional.

Finish:  Not much there and it seemed to be watered down.

Evaluation:  This wine clearly did not belong in the tasting but it was fun to see if anyone figure out it didn't’t belong.  What are the odds it was served first?  Overall for $8 not a bad value.  82 points

2004 Kaesler Old Bastard Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Big fruit, crushed rock, spice

Taste:  Plum, crushed rock, pepper, spice

Finish:  What a mouthful of great wine with an extremely long finish with crushed rock, pepper, plum and a touch of spice. 

Evaluation:  If you are going to spend a $100 on a bottle then buy this one!  96+ points

2004 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (2/26/2010)
Dark purple. Nose very subtle with coffee, pepper, spice and black fruit. This is a grainy wine in the mouth with spice, floral, pepper and black fruits. Medium finish and very smooth wine. Drinking well right now and I don't see this is a long term ager. (91 pts.)

2004 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (2/27/2010)
Eucalyptus, coffee, blackberries. On the palate spice, coffee, raspberries, blackberries. Medium finish with a sour floral quality. A bit off from other bottles. (88 pts.)

2004 Kilikanoon Covenant Barossa Valley Shiraz $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose: Spice, black pepper, currants

Taste:  Black pepper, spice, plum, and crushed rock

Finish:  Short to Medium with black pepper, spice, plum.  The problem with this wine is it lacks the concentration on the finish otherwise a 90 pointer

Evaluation:  88 points

2004 Long Flat Barossa Valley Shiraz $$

Color:  Inky purple

Nose:  Fruit forward with plum a hint of spice

Taste:  Thick floral with spice and a heat element, a little tannic

Finish:  Chewy with distinct floral notes and tampers off rather quickly.  The weakest part of the wine.

Evaluation:  Many nice elements but nothing off the charts.  For the price a nice QPR wine.  85 points

2004 Marquis Philips Barossa Valley Shiraz 9 $$$

Color:  Extremely dark purple

Nose:  High alcohol content evident, spice box,

Taste:  Thick wine with plum, pepper, hints of cherry, nice fruits but not a fruit bomb.  Floral notes evident.

Finish:  Medium multi layered finish with spices and fruits intermixed (30 plus seconds)

Evaluation:  An excellent wine for the money at $30 locally.  It is said that these grapes are from the Integrity which was not made in 04 with the split of Marquis/ Philips partnership.  This is a buy wine and the best aussie wine since our clubs tasting in April that I have had.  94 points

2004 Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend Shiraz $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Floral, smoke and spice

Taste:  Floral, tannic, and thick texture with no evident fruit.

Finish:  Short and a little tannic with mainly floral notes.

Evaluation:  A little one dimensional with mainly floral notes.  83 points

2004 Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Victoria Shiraz $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Spice, blackberries, chocolate, earth

Taste:  Blackberry, spice, vanilla, minerals, violets

Finish:  Medium and complex

Evaluation:  Much better then the 85 points from Wine Spectator.  90 points

2004 Oliverhill Winery “Jimmy Section” Mc Laren Vale Shiraz $$$

Color:  Deep purple

Nose:  Rich and exotic with spice, floral, pepper, plum, earth with heat from the higher alcohol content.

Taste:  Pepper, spice, cherry, chewy and thick wine and earth notes.

Finish:  Multi layered with a medium finish.  Spice, pepper and earth intermixed.  Buttery notes kick in after about a minute.

Evaluation:  An incredible wine that was not decanted and is drinking at a very high level.  I will revisit this in about an hour to see if anything in this complex wine changes.  95 points

2004 Yalumba "Y" Shiraz/Viognier $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Floral, pepper and spice

Taste:  Floral, spice and pepper

Finish:  Very long with multi layered tastes of floral, pepper and spice

Evaluation:  Great value with a long finish.  90 points

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amon-Ra by Ben Glaetzer is one of the best wines from Australia.  If you want the best price on this wine you can use the Wineglas Twin Cities Buying Service.  Please contact me directly for the best prices in the Twin Cities or Nationwide.

 

 

 

 

 

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