Oliverhill 2003 Jimmy Section Shiraz Jan 05

Sealed in a Stelvin, this wine is pretty typical in that even after a few hours in the glass; it still requires a lot of coaxing to show its true colours. It is obviously big wine; earthy mushroom aromas dominate the bouquet which is complemented by a little spice, plums, chocolate menthol and mint. Full-bodied, the wine is well balanced with no obvious or hard edges; the terms of chewy and provide a rock solid backbone. The flavour profile is pretty dark, chocolate, blackberry and aniseed hold no great surprise, but the abundant eucalyptus and mint on the tail was little more than expected. Whilst the wine is drinkable now, there is no doubt a couple more years bottle will do it the world of good. Rated as Recommended with **** for value. After having been opened for the best part of the day, the wine was a lot more approachable and most enjoyable over dinner. The abundant eucalyptus and mint had faded whilst the chocolate and liquorish dominated. The rating should improve as the wine matures and this is one definitely worth buying as long as you like them big and bold.