Wow what an amazing wine–from start to finish. THIS is why I love good Shiraz. This right here. Typically I gravitate to Barossa, but this Padthaway just hits on all the levels I love about South Australia. The perfume in the nose is layered beyond belief, I could just leave my nose in this forever. Ripe roses and crushed mint with gobs of vanilla and briar and just the right amount of cellar-floor. A perfect dark garnet with still-clear edges, somewhat staining. Tiny bits of Euro-funk rise with time in glass.
In the mouth, dense and compact but compact in an all-encompassing concentrated way, exploding on the palate into a myriad of nuances. Rhubarb pie with a lovely crust and over-ripe oranges with shocking barnyard earthy base notes. Stunning tannin showing no signs of slowing down balance the rich, heady fruit. This is a monster, but oh so balanced. A tiny bit of alcohol-burn would be the only flaw. I guessed 14-8 and label states a whopping 15-0. Somehow they pull it off. How could you NOT like this wine? Even the most critical me–desperately searching for flaws–finds it seamless from the first whiff to the last memory. This. Is. Syrah. At its near-pinnacle.
2005 HENRY’S DRIVE Shiraz Padthaway South Australia 15.0
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