Eden Springs 2002 Barossa Shiraz July 2004

A new wine from what is quickly becoming a favorite producer. This is the Red Leaf label and is made from bought in fruit. The previous incantation of this wine was a belter for the price. Having two, different wines under the same label will cause confusion in the market and in my opinion is not a good move, but at least the bottle shapes and back labels of the two wines are completely different. According to the label, the fruit comes from the northern end of the Barossa and it spent nine months in a combination of both American and French oak, about a quarter of it new and was followed by a brief immersion in 100% new French oak, to add a bit of “spice.”

The bouquet is lifted, fruit driven but the spice from the oak is noticeable and combines well together with lightly perfumed, floral soap and hints of aniseed. The palate has excellent intensity of flavor and shows very subtle chary from the oak, meat blood, blackberry, sweet plum, chocolate, aniseed, and spice with a touch of pepper that finishes with good mouth-filling persistence. An ample weight wine that is in balance with enough fresh fruit flavor to handle the short term new oak treatment and whilst it is enjoyable and approachable now because of its supple, rounded, tannins, it will be all the better if left for a couple of years which will see the oak fully integrate and the tannins resolve further. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures. No hesitation in buying this one, it is seriously good for the price! Lynne said, “it makes my taste buds dance.”