2002 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
At a fraction price of Grange and delivering all the goodies of a cool and elegant wine, this 2002 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz from the excellent vintage and prestigeous Barossa Valley is the one.
Laytons writes, ‘Meshach Shiraz is the flagship of the Grant Burge winery. It derives mostly from the Filsell Vineyard near Lyndoch, planted in 1920, with additional contributions from three other small sites, all with vines 100+ years old. The wine is matured in mostly new American and French oak hogsheads for around 22 months, and then in bottle for three years before release as a four to five year old. Meshach is a generous Barossa style with a ripe, dense palate packed with fruit, chocolaty tannins and supported by malty/roasted-chestnut new oak. Meshach develops attractive choc-berry/panforte characters with age. Named after Burge’s great-grandfather, Meshach neatly reflects both traditional winemaking philosophies and contemporary practices. The wine is prized for its consistency and cellaring potential.’
Notable comments on 2002 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz are:
A glorious expression of a cool vintage shiraz with small berries and a long growing season; blackberry, spice and licorice, with fine, lingering tannins. Predominantly American oak for two years' maturation; 85-year-old vines. Multi-trophy winner. Cork. JH96.
"An elegant Meshach, but no shrinking violet, either! Very intense and assertively oaked, with dark plums, blackcurrants and dark chocolate backed by toasty aromas of vanilla, coconut ice, cedar and cigarboxes, it's also perfumed and floral. Surprisingly fine and elegant and seamless, its palate is saturated with jammy black and red berry flavours and supported by fine, firm tannins of genuine strength. It finishes long and savoury, with lingering suggestions of licorice, cloves and minerals. Drink 2014-2022." JO95.
"The 2002 Shiraz "Meshach" is the flagship of the winery. The fruit is from the oldest portion of the Filsell vineyard with vine age close to 100 years. It was aged in French and American oak for 20 months and given another 30 months of bottle age prior to release. It delivers a splendid bouquet of smoky oak, scorched earth, pencil lead, violets, bacon, and blueberry. It has outstanding depth, complexity, and gobs of flavor. It has enough structure to evolve for several years but can be enjoyed now. Grant Burge and Burge Family Winemakers have a familial but not philosophical connection. One is big, the other an artisanal, hands-on operation. Not that big is bad as this Grant Burge lineup demonstrated." RP94+.
A big Shiraz with a flair for elegance, offering a crisp texture against a fleshy veneer of fine tannins, with a lively core of blackberry, cherry and minty, creamy notes on the long finish. Best from 2010 through 2020. WS93.
