Blown Away 2002 Shiraz March 05

When I tried this wine at the winery fairly recently, the bottle which had just been opened, opened up with a bit of stink. At the time, Sue thought the wine was not showing as well as it could have and was convinced a little airtime was all it needed. As a result, she sent me a bottle to try at my leisure.

This bottle was more attractive on opening, with no sign of the offending odours. It was also better on the palate. Smooth, tightly grained tannins are well matched to the unobtrusive acid and assertive fruit; they combine to produce a well-balanced wine with a good mouth feel. Ample in weight, the consistency is supple, the structure harmonious and the complexity agreeable. Controlled, ripe blackberry, liquid smoke and dark chocolate flavours are complemented by an underlying sweetness; the wine finishes dry with aniseed and good intensity. Consistency is supple, the structure harmonious and the complexity agreeable. It is drinking well now but with its solid tannin backing, it has the potential to improve in the short to medium term.  Rated as Recommended with *** for value, I will happily drink the rest with dinner.