Kalleske 2004 Johann Georg Shiraz Aug 06

Tasting Note

Sydney Time

Kalleske 2004 Johann Georg Shiraz Aug 06

After my last experience with a young Kalleske wine, I decanted this at 10 o'clock and did not look at it for six hours; and even then, it didn't really start hitting its straps until 7 p.m.

The nose is black; blackcurrant, white pepper, charcoal/toasted oak, aniseed and menthol; there's a lot of activity in the bouquet. The striking structure and balance of this wine immediately captures one's undivided attention. Controlled and measured dusty tannins combine with fresh acid and deep, strong fruit to form a full-bodied, firm, solid and tight wine with a refined complexity that is already showing signs of harmony. The fruit is completely ripe and off-sweet, showing blackberry, charcoal, blackcurrant, dark chocolate, coffee with a touch of eucalyptus infused cigar box character. Once the wine opened fully, the palate was dominated by rich dark chocolate and plum that completely filled the palate with a very attractive mouth feel and finished with incredible lengths and persistence. A tip-top quality wine, it's rated as Excellent with *** for value and shouldn't be touched until at least 2014, by which time the rating will probably improve. The last vintage of this wine sold out incredibly quickly, and from my perspective this one's better, so if you are contemplating buying it you had better get in fast.