Great to see some Irvine wines – haven’t tasted one in ages. Merlot is the standout here, and Irvine also make one of the only Meslier based wines in Australia.
This Shiraz is marked as ‘Estate’ but it’s not clear which of the Irvine’s vineyards it comes from. Dark red maroon, the nose is rich with a Black Forest cake character that comes from both fruit and oak, with both very dominant. It’s perhaps just a little cooked, and indeed the wood is very toasty, but no shortage of impact in that big and bold, slap-you-about-the-face Barossa Shiraz form..
Could it be better if picked earlier and given less toasty oak? Perhaps, but this style has broad appeal (and will last). Best drinking: 2017-2028. 16.8/20, 89/100+. 14.5%, $25. Would I buy it? Not quite, but many would.
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3 Comments
” a little cooked” ……I read that often in Oz red wine reviews, stuns me a bit, how do so many vineyards make this mistake again and again and again.
It would seem ,that the process employed to determine the ripeness of the fruit is in serious need of reconsideration?
Lots of things that need to be reconsidered Colin. You could argue, for one, that Grenache and Mourvedre are better suited to the Barossa than Shiraz. Or how we approach canopies to try and avoid sunburn. Or even just better sorting to pull out dried, overripe berries from the mix. Lots to do…
An interesting response……….if I was to put my Denis Denuto hat on, “the vibe” that I am hearing is that your opinion of the bv scene currently ,is that there are many growers not keeping pace with the changing environment, resulting in a sub standard product?
So why is their response so benign?
I mean ,if my product was being continually criticised with the same fault………I’d fix it.
Or is the talk I am hearing from vineyards denying the presence of cooked fruit, raisan characters, tar, the list goes on just that a whole lotta crap!
Colin