Grant Burge Red Trio

Grant Burge Red trio – Rich!

They’re always consistent wines are the Burge reds. Built in a rather traditional fashion, the emphasis here is on chocolatey oak and plump fruit richness, in an open and full vein. I think I’d like to see just a little more freshness, but that might well be at the cost of the trademark lusciousness.

Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2009 (Barossa, SA)
14.5%, Cork, $39
Source: Sample
www.grantburgewines.com.au

Speaking of vintage, this comes from a year that wasn’t super kind to Barossa Valley Floor Shiraz. Not as challenging as 08 perhaps, but certainly another heatwave year, producing rather ripe and plump wines that can look a little desiccated. A ripping Grenache and Mourvedre year though.

This has a really sweet cherry pie and chocolate nose, leaning very much towards the slightly stewed, cooked plum, red fruit end of the spectrum. Palate is just a little stunted too, but still shows plenty of Barossan rich fruit character. It’s plump and appreciably generous, but a tad too soft and overripe in the wash. Still a reasonable drink (and sure to satisfy many) but I’ve had better Filsells. 16.8/89 

Grant Burge Corryton Park Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Eden Valley, SA)
14.5%, Cork, $35
Source: Sample
www.grantburgewines.com.au

Interestingly, this is a rather varietal Cabernet for the Barossa (that’ll be the Eden Valley influence), carrying a dusty, choc-mint and eucalpyt nose that is quite appealing (especially to a mint slice lover like myself). The palate too marries juicy fruit with firm Cabernet tannins to make for a rather complete package. It could do with a fraction more weight perhaps, but certainly plenty to like. The dry, long finish is admirable too. Good, solid drinking ahoy. 17.6/91

Grant Burge Meschach Shiraz 2006 (Barossa, SA)
14.5%, Cork, $155
Source: Sample
www.grantburgewines.com.au

One of the Barossan big guns, this has undergone something of an evolution this year, with the oak throttled back a notch. The story here is still all about rich, thick, oak charged, intensity plus Barossan Shiraz flavours, built big yet without crossing over into the old, Parker-esque era alcoholic viscosity. Old school stylin’ regardless.

Heck it just looks beasty, throwing a look-at-that-sediment! crust already. The nose too is heavy, rich and heady, both opulent and rich, if still a little four square. There’s a raisined edge in there too that at first I thought might signal overripeness. Thankfully the palate looks fresher than expected, with lots of fully invested, sweet and seductive, chocolate American oak, backed by dense and bulky black fruit. What I really like to see though is the tannins, which are a fraction oak driven, but certainly nicely prominent, everything finishing with the sort of Grange-like, limitless richness that makes reputations.

A deep, old vine Shiraz built in a rather classic Barossan idiom, this flirts with over-ripeness, before that deep dark back palate brings it all back together. Good stuff.. 18.4/94