Shirvington Shiraz 2007 and 2006, McLaren Vale.
Awarded RP92, 2007 starts with deep, dark aromas of chocolate, liquorice, cola and plum, then offers flavours of dates, chocolate and vanilla. It has a more prominent nose than 2006, which, the other hand, displays strong secondary nose of cigar box, lavender, cocoa, black cherry.
Both wines were 100% barrel fermented. Hence the palates, especially the upper palate, is creamy. Aside from that, it has plenty of savoury fruit, the right balance, and a lengthy finish. Both require additional cellaring and should be in full bloom from 2013 to 2025.
Shirvington’s 2007 Shiraz spent in 65% new oak and 35% one-year-old oak. 80% of the oak was American, and 20% was French. 2007 on palate displays of cigar box, lavender, cocoa, black cherry, and blueberry. Coconut, oak ageing using 90% American oak and 10% French, 2006 is a structured Shiraz to savour over the next few years.
Frtesh to start and almost porty to finsih, both wines lead to a full-bodied, dense, structured Shiraz which comes off as just a bit sinewy. Both are relatively simple wines to taste though. Both vintages have the right sort of Maclaren Vale elegance which set it apart to the two Barossa Valley Shirazes we showed earlier the past Monday and Tuesday.
