Tait Shiraz 2006

92 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate - Full-bodied on the palate with succulent flavors, well-concealed structure, excellent concentration and grip.

Tasting Notes

The grapes that make up the 2005 Basket Pressed Shiraz are predominately sourced from a single vineyard location in the Barossa Valley. The vineyard is approx 50-60 years old, practically dry grown, hand pruned, on clay soils. The site is at the foothills of the Barossa Ranges. The vineyard site is visited twice a week during the maturing season to ensure that the fruit is maturing slowly and that water is only applied when necessary. Picking is only done when the grapes are physiologically ripe. Color – Deep Black Purple. Nose – Intense aromas of stewed plums, chocolate, liquorish and blackberry. Palate – Full bodied, well structured with loads of blackberry, plum and chocolate flavors intermixed with vanilla oak.

Food Accompaniments

Meat, cheese.

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

92 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate (JM)
The 2006 Basket Pressed Shiraz was aged for 15 months in 20% new French oak and the balance seasoned American oak. Opaque purple/black in color, it offers up a brooding bouquet of smoke, game, plum, blueberry, and chocolate. Like its Cabernet cousin, it is full-bodied on the palate with succulent flavors, well-concealed structure, excellent concentration and grip, and a pure finish. This massive effort should evolve for another 5-7 years and offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2026.

92 pts Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Bruno Tait’s wines are unapologetically big and rich; this one does show a hint of warmth on the finish. But it also shows concentrated flavors of plum, blackberry and chocolate, along with a savory element that keeps it from seeming too jammy. Tannins are creamy-textured, the finish long and licorice inflected. Drink it now and over the next five or six years.

91 pts Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar (JR)
Inky ruby. Ripe blackberry and mulberry aromas are complemented by smoky Indian spices and cocoa. Fleshy and sweet, offering seamless red and dark berry preserve flavors and gentle grip. This already accessible wine finishes with a strong echo of sweet dark fruits and sexy oak spices.

Winemaker Notes

All grapes are picked when physiologically ripe to obtain peak ripeness in terms of sugar and flavor. The grapes are de-stemmed into open fermenters, pH is adjusted and fermentation takes place over 7-10 days at a temperature of approx 24 degrees centigrade. Plunging and or pumping over takes place 3 times a day. The wine is then pressed using a Basket Press. Juice is then transferred to tank or Barrel to undergo Malo-lactic fermentation. Each batch is kept separate to determine on a year by year basis the quality of the fruit from that vineyard. All wine is racked and returned to barrel 2 to 3 times during the 12 moth period to ensure a clean wine that does not need any fining or filtration.

Chemical Analysis

Price

SKU

Varietal

Alcohol %: 16.1
Total Acid: 6.6
Free/Total Sulfur: 33/71
pH: 3.66
Residual Sugar: 3.3

$44.99

7897

Shiraz