Chris Ringland
Randall's Hill Shiraz
Barossa Valley, Barossa, South Australia, Australia
This is an amazing bottle and that's a bit of an under statement. The nuances and complexity are stunning. A wine that knocks your socks off & blows your hair back. On the nose, beautifully soften spices, cherries, ripe blueberries, olallieberries, baked strawberries, black raspberries, plum, dry cranberries, touch of black licorice, light presence of burnt ambers, raspberry cola, touch of fruit liqueur notes, loamy soil and bright red florals. The wine glides on to the palate. Tannins nearly completely resolved and the body is medium, fresh, ripe fruits that glisten. Blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, black raspberries, plum, blue fruits, dry cranberries, raspberries and raspberry cola that swirl on the palate. Everything in perfect harmony. The wine 20 years later is peaking. The nicest, softest dark spices in a wine I can remember. Mixed fruit licorice, a touch of crushed rocks, slight underbrush, mint & eucalyptus, bay leaf, menthol, scorched earth, perfect amount & intensity of baking spices; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and light clove. Loamy soils, violets for days & fresh red florals with absolutely perfect mouthwatering acidity and a perfectly round, long, leaner fruit, lightly spiced finish that goes on & on. Producer and personal notes...he has been called iconic, a superstar, a hotshot and an "uber" winemaker. Chris Ringland arguably has made some of the best wines in Australia during the past 15-20 years. He was named Winemaker of the Year in 2006 for the Barossa Valley in Australia. Ringland, 57, now makes about 60 wines under several different labels in three countries, assisted by winemaking teams in Australia, California and Spain.The wines range from the $10 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon to $500 or more for select vintages of Chris Ringland Shiraz. Chris a native of New Zealand was given a winemaking kit for Christmas when he was 14. The catalyst to him becoming a great and legendary Winemaker. Later, he enrolled in the Roseworthy enology program at the University of South Australia. After graduating, he worked for a few years in New Zealand, California and France before ending up in the Barossa Valley. Chris also made Rockford wines for about 15 years before going out on his own. He made his first vintage of Three Rivers Shiraz (since renamed Chris Ringland Shiraz) in 1989. Ringland's Three Rivers made it here in early 1998. It was well reviewed by Parker and Ringland's career took off. Chris went into business with Philips. Their labels include Marquis Philips, R Winery and Darby & Joan. With the help of other winemakers, he makes Red Lion wines in California and Bodega Alto Moncayo and Bodegas El Nido wines in Spain. He has consulted on such wines as Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red. Chris is a superstar on the international stage but meeting him at his home, you'd never know it. Chris is humble...a farmer at heart and a Winemaker second. He is one of the smartest persons I've met who understands all aspects of the business, including marketing...not to leave out, one heck of nice person. Only meeting him for the first time, he welcomed my wife & I into his house, walked us through his Vineyard and shared a sliver of his tremendous knowledge. He also opened up four of his great wines, decanted them and laid out a spread of charcuterie to go along with his wines. You felt like family from the first handshake. Quite a treat meeting him and coming back to the US and finding this perfectly stored 97. Photos of our April visit to Chris's house.
This is an amazing bottle and that's a bit of an under statement. The nuances and complexity are stunning. A wine that knocks your socks off & blows your hair back. On the nose, beautifully soften spices, cherries, ripe blueberries, olallieberries, baked strawberries, black raspberries, plum, dry cranberries, touch of black licorice, light presence of burnt ambers, raspberry cola, touch of fruit liqueur notes, loamy soil and bright red florals. The wine glides on to the palate. Tannins nearly completely resolved and the body is medium, fresh, ripe fruits that glisten. Blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, black raspberries, plum, blue fruits, dry cranberries, raspberries and raspberry cola that swirl on the palate. Everything in perfect harmony. The wine 20 years later is peaking. The nicest, softest dark spices in a wine I can remember. Mixed fruit licorice, a touch of crushed rocks, slight underbrush, mint & eucalyptus, bay leaf, menthol, scorched earth, perfect amount & intensity of baking spices; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and light clove. Loamy soils, violets for days & fresh red florals with absolutely perfect mouthwatering acidity and a perfectly round, long, leaner fruit, lightly spiced finish that goes on & on. Producer and personal notes...he has been called iconic, a superstar, a hotshot and an "uber" winemaker. Chris Ringland arguably has made some of the best wines in Australia during the past 15-20 years. He was named Winemaker of the Year in 2006 for the Barossa Valley in Australia. Ringland, 57, now makes about 60 wines under several different labels in three countries, assisted by winemaking teams in Australia, California and Spain.The wines range from the $10 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon to $500 or more for select vintages of Chris Ringland Shiraz. Chris a native of New Zealand was given a winemaking kit for Christmas when he was 14. The catalyst to him becoming a great and legendary Winemaker. Later, he enrolled in the Roseworthy enology program at the University of South Australia. After graduating, he worked for a few years in New Zealand, California and France before ending up in the Barossa Valley. Chris also made Rockford wines for about 15 years before going out on his own. He made his first vintage of Three Rivers Shiraz (since renamed Chris Ringland Shiraz) in 1989. Ringland's Three Rivers made it here in early 1998. It was well reviewed by Parker and Ringland's career took off. Chris went into business with Philips. Their labels include Marquis Philips, R Winery and Darby & Joan. With the help of other winemakers, he makes Red Lion wines in California and Bodega Alto Moncayo and Bodegas El Nido wines in Spain. He has consulted on such wines as Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red. Chris is a superstar on the international stage but meeting him at his home, you'd never know it. Chris is humble...a farmer at heart and a Winemaker second. He is one of the smartest persons I've met who understands all aspects of the business, including marketing...not to leave out, one heck of nice person. Only meeting him for the first time, he welcomed my wife & I into his house, walked us through his Vineyard and shared a sliver of his tremendous knowledge. He also opened up four of his great wines, decanted them and laid out a spread of charcuterie to go along with his wines. You felt like family from the first handshake. Quite a treat meeting him and coming back to the US and finding this perfectly stored 97. Photos of our April visit to Chris's house.
Aug 19th, 2017
Deborah Parker had this 7 years ago
Deborah Parker had this 7 years ago
Oct 12th, 2017
