Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Deep ruby centre , slightly wider ruby rim . Bit more herbaceous and medicinal nose , spicier dark fruits , touch tobacco , dried spice , smoky touch. Slight lighter focused fruit , spiced red plum , dark cherry. On the palate quite round and juicy , sweeter palate , smoky red plum , blueberry , dark cherry jam. Balanced acidity and slightly gritty but ripe , sweet tannins . Medium length . This is quite a contrast to the first two , the style of fruit is sweeter and lighter, and with time in the glass , more red cherry , strawberry notes appear. The finish is slightly sweeter and less harmonious than the first two , it is also very young so this might come with more time. Better in 5-10 years and will last well a further 5-10. — 17 days ago

Mark McAndrews

9.1

Nice Shiraz. Smooth, good fruit — 3 days ago

Sam Friedland

8.9

Fine, but still needs to mature the tannins. — 18 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Rich, supple and delicious. A prime example of what the Barossa does so well, particularly in a good vintage. Blackberry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and coffee grounds. Barb thought too much coconut oak but I didn’t think it was excessive. The next night ripe plum and oak- rich and mouth filling - through to the mid 2030’s. Your choice - rich and fruit driven or developed savoury notes or somewhere in between. — 17 days ago

Shuhui Ng

9.2

Deep ruby, heavy bodied - nose opens up to strawberry, spice and bubblegum. Mouth feel: blackcurrant, black pepper, liquorice, vanilla. medium acidity, well integrated tannins… very smooth to drink! — 15 days ago

Vino Joe

9.6

Excellent wine. Smoky and spicy but textured and long too. This is a rich wine. Paired it well with pizza covered in sautéed hot peppers. Deep dark color. Fragrant. This was complex and lovely. — 3 days ago

Gor

9.6

Layered, complex, beautiful. Opens with cherries, blood, plums, blueberries, dry leaves and licorice. Fine grained tannins. Perfect after a few hours in the decanter. Will last at least another decade. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1998 “Command” pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. Definitely some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and mostly dried black and red fruits: brambles, blueberries, blackberries, dates, grilled meat, leather, purple flowers, marjoram, earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (mostly integrated) and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the addition of an umami/Maillard reaction sort of thing giving a rich, savory finish. Drink now as it’s in slow decline. — 23 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

From magnum and served after the Chardonnay challenge last Saturday. Meaty - savoury and delicious - very Northern Rhone. Vibrant and strong for a 20 year old wine, admittedly from Magnum. Went down well with the Chardonnay tasters. — 9 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Deep purple , thin pink rim . Quite perfumed , floral , mint , herbaceous character , cassis and blackberry . Quite rich with sweet dark fruits on the palate , plum , cherry , blueberry , blackberry . Balanced acidity and spicy dark fruited finish , slightly meaty , medium length finish . This is needs time in order to round out the tannins , better in 5 years and will last well a further 10-15. — 17 days ago