Balgownie 2003 Shiraz Sept 05

 

Full marks are due to Balgownie for excellent customer service. Recently I opened a previous vintage of this label and found the wine to be, to my taste, badly affected with Brett. After contacting the winery and some discussion, “in the interests of customer satisfaction,” they were willing to replace the original wine with a six pack of the current vintage; service doesn’t come better than that provided by Balgownie.

 

There is nothing shy about the bouquet, it initially opened a bit reductive but that quickly blew off to reveal its intense nature; showing dominant nutmeg, pepper, black musky fruits and dark chocolate. Youthful acid and abundant tannins that are fine but chalky and well matched to the strong, intense fruit; the wine is in muscular-weight. It seems very ripe but retains a savoury profile with plum, blackberry, spice and black chocolate flavours that are attractive, and whilst they linger nicely with good a good meaty and minty intensity, they do not go all the way to the back of the palate. It needs about three years to settle down and a further few to gain. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures around 2010. Happy to have this one in the cellar, its got some potential and class.