1998 Reserve Shiraz

Tasting Notes

Just looking at the wine in the glass gives an indication of its power and intensity. The colour is deep purple, almost black. The nose displays all the perfume and spice of great McLaren Vale Shiraz along with rich summer berries. The palate is generous and concentrated with plum, dark berry and liquorice. A long, lingering finish with firm tannins suggest this wine will continue to improve with careful cellaring over the next 10 years.

Grape Source

The fruit for this wine was sourced from dry grown vines in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. Two small vineyards in the McLaren Flat sub-region were the direct source. These vineyards are on rich red loam soils and are cropped at less than 3 tonne/acre. The 1998 vintage has been hailed a classic in South Australia. The season had perfect growing conditions with good winter rain in the preceding year. Temperatures were very even during the summer months resulting in good Baume levels and natural acids. The overall yields were higher than normal throughout McLaren Vale with fruit quality considered outstanding.

Vinification

The fruit was fermented to dryness on skins without receiving any barrel fermentation. This took approximately 8 days before being pressed into new French (50%) and American (50%) oak barriques for 16 months maturation prior to bottling.

Winemaker

Andrew Hales

Cellaring

Excellent drinking now but will reward careful cellaring for up to 10 years.

Technical Details

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottling date: April 2000
pH: 3.51
Acidity: 7.8g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%
Harvest Date: March to April 1998

 

Ratings & Reviews

Wine Advocate (October 30, 2002)
"An opaque purple color accompanies a sweet perfume of licorice, black fruits, smoke and camphor. This full-bodied, opulently-textured, low acid 1998 is rich, concentrated, and persistent." - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

 

Wine Spectator (May 15, 2003)
"The winemakers responsible for Greg Norman Estates get to pick some of the best fruit from Beringer Blass' vineyards, and it shows in the wines. The eye-opening reserve Shiraz 1998, an astonishingly majestic wine at the price, is the standout."

 

Wine Enthusiast (October 20035)
"as full-on fruit on the palate (blackberry jam, and a host of berries) plus eucalyptus and vanilla. It's big and rich in the mouth, with a medium-long finish that sings of eucalyptus and vanilla. "

 

Wine Report (Shark Watch, June/July 2006)
"Greg Norman Wine Estates has operations in Southeastern Australia and in northern and central California... His wines consistently garner top praise from American critics, particularly his 1998 Reserve Shiraz. "It has such a deep, intense flavor," he says, "filled with tannins that are pronounced but not overbearing, and a hit of blueberry. There is so much depth to this wine." - Steve Stevens

 

Wineskinny.com (December 2003 - January 2004)
"This wine is aging beautifully, with its rich black currant and berry fruit, layers of black licorice, black pepper and tobacco notes swirling and evolving. Beautifully integrated flavors. Finishes long and elegantly."

 

The Capital (December 24, 2003)
"Not every winemaker in Australia makes a reserve Shiraz, but Mr. Steel feels he has the right fruit to make this one work. This reserve has good body, but still the opulent berry fruit and spice that make Shiraz such a nice drink." - Tom Marquardt & Patrick Darr

 

Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences (December 12, 2002)
"Very Highly Recommended. Deep blueberry and ripe plum/cassis aroma; slightly minty taste with full, rich, ripe fruit and a layer of tannin."

 

Connoisseurs Guide (July 2002)
"Among the very richest and most effusively fruity of the Aussie bunch. Tempers its generosity with a surprising sense of polish. Big without being blustery, it shows a broad range of complex cocoa, spice, smoke and dried-flower qualities while remaining ever fixed on fundamental fruit, and its lengthy finish lingers on and on. Its careful mix of prettiness and potency is a model worthy of emulation by any and all who would make syrah."

 

Whitley on Wine Report (December 24, 2001)
"Exceptional ...Pure ripe aromas of blackberry, raspberry and blueberry are rich and opulent on the palate in this remarkably powerful but well balanced red that is easily the finest to date under the Greg Norman banner."