Hickinbotham Syrah

Copying over notes from December.

On the nose; dark, bramble, black plum, boysenberries, huckleberries, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, creamy raspberries, some black licorice, vanilla, black pepper, savory notes, volcanic minerals, crushed dry rocks, loamy dry top soil, medium spice, lilacs, lavender & violets.

The body is; full, rich, lush, velvety, silky and sexy. The velvety tannins are just starting to round out. It’s as good as it is after an hour in the decanter. The wine flows gorgeously over the palate. The fruits are ripe & creamy. Blackberries, black plum, boysenberries, huckleberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries and a faint hint of strawberries in the background. Raspberry cola, volcanic minerals, bramble, loamy dry top soil, dry crushed rocks, vanilla, medium spice, bacon, black pepper, black licorice, sweet tarry notes, lilacs, lavender, violets, nice round acidity and a long gorgeous, velvety, well balanced finished. I’d still wait another five to seven years to open another bottle and it would likely get a higher rating at that point, (which I have clearly not done here). It has all the right elements to achieve a near perfect score. This is another example of a wine I recently purchased on the secondary market for exactly half its release price.

Photos of; McLaren Vale vineyards, Shiraz grapes ready for harvest and Owner/Winemaker Roman Bratasiuk.

The 2001 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham was near its peak. Really drinking well and an excellent pair with my two day seasoned marinated chicken.

Superb ripe blue fruits, just the right amount of pepper, nice purple flowers and absolute elegant heaven on the palate.

Photos of; Clarendon Hills Vineyard, one the probably 75-100+ year old Gnarly vines you will see frequently from good sites in Barossa & McLaren Vale, Owner & Winemaker Roman Bratasiuk and their branded barrels.

Nice, especially because of the age. Wish I had more time to give you some of the flavours I got. But it's a beauty.

Popped and poured. No visual signs of age. Intoxicating aromas of dark berries, violets, and roasted meat in huge abundance. A tidal wave of pure dark berries and savory meats with remarkable texture. Structures for days. Hard to believe this is 12 years old...feels like it could age gracefully for 30-40 years.

On the nose; dark, bramble, black plum, boysenberries, huckleberries, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, creamy raspberries, some black licorice, vanilla, black pepper, savory notes, volcanic minerals, crushed dry rocks, loamy dry top soil, medium spice, lilacs, lavender & violets. The body is; full, rich, lush, velvety, silky and sexy. The velvety tannins are just starting to round out. As good as it is after an hour in the decanter, it’s still early on the 06. The wine flows gorgeously over the palate. The fruits are ripe & creamy. Blackberries, black plum, boysenberries, huckleberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries and a faint hint of strawberries in the background. Raspberry cola, volcanic minerals, bramble, loamy dry top soil, dry crushed rocks, vanilla, medium spice, bacon, black pepper, black licorice, sweet tarry notes, lilacs, lavender, violets, nice round acidity and a long gorgeous, velvety, well balanced finished. I’d still wait another five to seven years to open another bottle and it would likely get a higher rating at that point. It has all the right elements to achieve a near perfect score. This is another example of a wine I recently purchased on the secondary market for exactly half its release price. Photos of; McLaren Vale vineyards, seriously old gnarly vines in their Kangarilla Vineyard, Shiraz grapes ready for harvest and their Cellar Door.

Australia keeps delivering unexpected pleasures

Herbal and tobacco notes on the nose with strong herbal on the palate

Forrest floor, black berry. Just wonderful.

Leather and smoke and earth and drink now!

Oh, wow. Legit.