Tahbilk 1999 1860's Vines Shiraz Oct 04

I loved the previous release of this wine and it was one of the best ever in my opinion and so I was anxious to taste the latest effort and what a surprise it turned out to be. The first thing that stuck me was the colour, purple! The bouquet was brooding (the bottle had been opened about 5 minutes) but it seems to have good concentration and more importantly, intensity; the oak was also obvious. The wine shows absolutely perfect balance and whilst it is already harmonious, it is locked my tight. Flavour profile is interesting with multiple intermingling berry flavours where almost nothing sticks out and identifies itself as well as chocolate, mint and very subtle spice that all combines to finish with good persistence. Ample in weight, it is best described as a Nicole Kidman wine, elegant, tight, firm, solid, harmonious and a joy to admire. Rated as Excellent with ** for value.