Black-night ruby with purple edges. Impenetrable beyond 1/8 inch depth. Jam-packed blustery nose absolutely CLOGGING with dark cherry, massive oak, a bit of alcohol, eucalyptus and disgustingly rich earth. Holy wow this thing is a bruiser. I just worship Barossa. The vast majority of my favorite Australian wines originate there. But this thing is truly obese. It smells like 90+ point cult Rhone-blends from around here. It heads into fat and lifeless. Then you taste it. And you have to decide. Is the blurry compass of extraction deteriorating everything into pure sweetness and jammy fluff or is the wine driven to its massive, ripe core with balance? Hedonistically ripe to the point of ‘perceived sweetness’ but acid pops in quickly and not-particularly-handsome tannins close it out. I’m going to give these things a couple more years and the truth will be evident.
2009 ROCLAND ESTATE Shiraz Barossa Valley Australia 14.5
Stephen McConnell 