Dead Arm 2001 Shiraz Nov 03

Impenetrable dark purple in colour, even the high poured torch I normally use when decanting couldn’t cut a beam through this wine till the bottle was almost empty. Even after three hours there was a noticeable level of VA, nose clearing menthol, brooding dark fruit and an earthy mushroom aroma I could not identify. All this and the bouquet is still tight and unyielding.

This is a full bodied baby with mouth numbing drying tannins, youthful acid and enough deeply seated fruit to provide perfect balance and construction. The flavour profile is complex with cherry, plum, blackberry, chocolate and mint; the longer the wine was open the more the savoury aspects emerged. On the palate the wine fills the mouth and the flavour lingers after it has gone down for longer than it took me to type up this tasting note.

It’s not hot but getting close and this very complex blockbuster wine that’s tight and needs years to show its best should peak around 2008 and hold for years after that but I doubt it will go past 2015. No surprise it rated highly with Robert Parker, I rated it as Excellent (with room to improve as it matures) with *** for value.  

Copyright © Ric Einstein 2003