Sevenhill ‘Inigo’ Shiraz 2005 (Clare Valley, SA)
$20, Screwcap, 15%!

The 2005 vintage, on the whole, produced some very good wines in the Clare Valley, and will probably go down as one of the better vintages of the last few years. The warm season, however, was not without its perils, and unfortunately this vinous train wreck is a testament to it.

Given that this is 15% alcohol, it’s little wonder that the colour of this is black. Maroon black. Impenetrable, home made blackberry jam in colour, with blood red edges. The nose is naturally super ripe, with fig jam, blackberry, mint and the odd whiff of stressed fruit – all warning signs for someone who doesn’t like super ripe reds. Sadly, it only goes downhill from here, with a palate that I found to be near undrinkable – bitter, hard, alcoholic, acrid and finishing with tannins that may as well have been scraped off the back of the microwave.

For a bit of context, the 2004 Sevenhill Brother John May Shiraz is one of the best Clare reds I have tasted in some time, so I have no qualms about the winemaking skill and quality vineyard resources. This is just a case of the vagaries of vintage wines. 12.5