Tasting Note

                 Sydney Time

           Copyright © Ric Einstein 2008

Sylvan Springs 2006 Cyril's Reserve Shiraz April 08

I first tried a barrel sample of this wine late last year and was very impressed. Whilst it is a good wine, in some ways, I am not as impressed as I was at that time. The bouquet is tight and brooding and shows multiple spices with loads of coffee oak. (The barrel samples certainly did not have that coffee oak.) The wine has a lovely mouth feel and an excellent balance. The very fine tannins are approaching silky and the fruit is deeply-seated. It's just ample in weight with a supple consistency, a solid structure and as tight as Scrooge's wallet. The palate is dominated by coffee oak but history has shown that the quality fruit will absorb it in time. Coffee, blackberry, plum, mint and a solid line of herbs go through the palate. In time it should become seamless. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value, based on the recommended retail price of $40.83 direct from the winery, including freight. Drink from 2012 to 2016.

Commentary not related to the Tasting Note.

The winery sample that was sent to me stated is available from Squashedgrape for $34.95 a bottle, which makes it *** for value. I am not sure how other retailers will perceive this move, but my bet is that recommending one retailer over another will just alienate other potential retailers.  

In November I was told it would be a price increase in the Reserve, and whilst the wine is of a significantly higher quality than the previous Sylvan Springs wines, a doubling of the price was completely unexpected. I think the winery will have difficulty selling it at $40. I was also told that part of the justification for the increase in price was so that the winery would keep the wine for longer, about an additional 12 months prior to release. I checked my records, and it shows that I purchased the 1999 in 2001, the 2000 in 2002, the 2003 in 2005 etc, so buying the 2006 in 2008 is not really holding it longer. That is a pity as the wine would show a lot better in 12 months from now once a bit of the oak has been absorbed.