Warrabilla 2003 Reserve Durif Nov 04

Impenetrable dark purple, they don't come darker than this although they do come blacker. Initially the nose was not much to write home about, but over some hours, as the wine gained airtime, the sweet black floral fruit, cherry and chocolate came to the fore. Rich and ripe, this is a stunning wine that wakes up the senses. Full bodied in every respect, it is still under control with an attractive mouth feel where the tannins play a supporting (but not subservant) role to the deeply seated fruit, needless to say it is well balanced. Plum, spice, black fruits, chocolate and vanilla choke the tastebuds with seductive flavours and it finishes with good persistence. Its not a great wine, but it is a great drinking wine for hedonistic red bigots. If you are a fruit slut, you will be happy to guzzle it now, but five years patience will be rewarded. At 16% alcohol there is some warmth on the palate but absolutely no heat. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value. Happy to drink this anytime and a great value purchase.

(Hint: If you drink it in its youth, do not decant for long as after a few hours the tannins start to dominate. It can also handle hot chilli dishes too!)