Drinking alongside the Sliver, the ‘21 Chalk Hill comes across as richer and more extracted, offering dense layers of blackcurrant, blackberry paste, dark chocolate, and roasted herbs. The palate is deep and mouth-coating, showing ample oak sweetness and firm tannins, but the concentration slightly outweighs its sense of balance. Power and ripeness dominate, giving a bold, muscular Bordeaux style expression. — 7 months ago
My first wine of 2026 is 2012 Amon-Ra by Graetzer Barossa Valley Unfiltered Shiraz. We had a Japanese sukiyaki dish paired with this wine. A flavor that evokes a sense of majestic energy. Smooth texture with a long finish. Nice.
2026年最初のワインは、グレツァー・バロッサ・バレーの2012年アモン・ラ・ノンフィルター・シラーズ。このワインには日本のすき焼きを合わせました。雄大なエネルギーを感じさせる味わい。滑らかな口当たりで余韻が長く続きます。素晴らしい。 — 8 months ago
citrusy -light wine :) — a year ago
Light, citrucy, crisp but not dry. Will buy again. Good with watermelon 😋🍉 — 5 years ago
Nice. Big fruit, but not as ripe as what I expected from a barossa Shiraz. Evolved with air. Finish only slightly herby. — 8 years ago
I have dreamed of the 1981 Grange for many, many years. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: I’m an ‘81 baby and that year doesn’t have the strongest reputation for producing great wines. Spain and Italy faired better and of course, there were always exceptions. However, most have long been drank or forgotten as it was a tough year in many of the classic wine growing regions. All of that being said, Australia didn’t suffer the same conditions and Penfold’s managed to make a very good expression of Grange in 1981…if only one could find it and then of course, afford it. But, sometimes you just have to put it out into the universe and she answers. Tonight, a dear brother in wine who also happens to share 1981 as a birth year, provided this bottle from his cellar to share. And while my 45th remains a couple months off, we were celebrating life and friendship tonight!
Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1981 pours a deep purple color moving towards a garnet rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated tart black, red and blue fruits and rotundone: blackberries, raspberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, black olive, cocoa, coffee, eucalyptus, leather, toasted coconut, earth and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is looooong. What a stellar showing and this bottle certainly lived up to hype. Drink now through 2041+. — 5 months ago
With Jay and Ted — 7 months ago
Torbreck RunRig Shiraz–Viognier 2021
Barossa Valley, South Australia 🇦🇺
Overview:
A monumental Barossa Rhône-inspired powerhouse blend of approximately 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier, delivering extraordinary depth, concentration, and architectural structure while retaining aromatic lift and finesse. This is Barossa at its most commanding yet disciplined, massive fruit density wrapped in precision, energy, and length. A wine that commands attention, rewards contemplation, and delivers relentless momentum from first sip to finish.
Aromas & Flavors:
Explosive black plum, blackberry compote, cassis, and dark cherry saturate the nose, layered with violets, smoked spice, cocoa nib, graphite, and subtle savory meat tones. The palate unfolds in waves of black fruit intensity, crushed stone minerality, licorice, espresso, and warm spice, finishing long, deep, and persistently resonant.
Mouthfeel:
Full-bodied, muscular, and impeccably structured with commanding tannins that feel polished rather than aggressive. Immense mid-palate density is balanced by freshness and lift, creating a sense of power without heaviness. The texture is authoritative, layered, and built for long-term evolution.
Food Pairings:
Dry-aged ribeye or wagyu. Slow-braised lamb shank with rosemary and garlic. Venison with black cherry reduction. Smoked brisket. Aged hard cheeses such as Comté, Manchego, or aged Gouda.
Verdict:
A truly elite expression of modern Barossa Shiraz, concentrated, complex, and unapologetically serious while remaining beautifully balanced and energetic. This is a reference-point wine that delivers immediate impact and exceptional cellar potential.
Did You Know?:
RunRig is sourced from some of Barossa’s oldest and most revered Shiraz vineyards, with Viognier co-fermented in the traditional Northern Rhône style to enhance aromatic complexity, texture, and freshness.
🍷 Personal Pick:
This wine completely captured my heart 100%, layered, commanding, and dangerously irresistible. One of those bottles that makes restraint impossible and reminds you why great wine can be genuinely emotional. A true benchmark experience.
— 7 months ago
So good! Kenlee brought for Christmas dinner in Manila. Can buy from duty free in the airport — 8 months ago
This was fantastic honey, apple, waxy, and mineral all for less than 20 dollars — 9 months ago
The other steak night bottle at Nolan’s cabin in the Dells. — 5 years ago
Great white wine we enjoyed both before and during dinner. Will buy again. — 7 years ago
Favorite daily bottle — 10 years ago
Fun fact - So this wine is from the winemaker of Cloudy Bay before it got taken over by LVMH. Another fun fact - it's one of the best whites I've had! — 14 years ago
Light fruity aroma, dark red, medium body, dry and succulent, dark fruit flavor, paired nicely with venison. — 7 months ago
Had the 2021 in February of 2026. Lots of blueberry and vanilla with some spice with this one. Enjoyed this one more with food rather than sipping alone. — 7 months ago
We really enjoyed this. — 7 months ago
Often the Grosset Polish Hill doesn’t live up to its billing as perhaps Australia’s finest dry Riesling but with this 2017 it probably exceeds expectations. It is simply fabulous. Some ripe lusciousness to the mid palate amid lime and lemon notes, but finishes bone dry. My first of 4 bottles so I will enjoy the journey over the next 5+ years if I can keep my hands off it. HH said it is shaping up as one of the greatest Polish Hill Rieslings. — 7 months ago
Opened after Xmas lunch as we needed a follow up to the Black Shiraz. Did not disappoint. Mature and soft with all the lovely spice and dark fruit of the basket pressed. Lovely. — 8 months ago
The times I helt a bottle like this in my hands, I can probably count on only one hand. Even for Delectable this is a rare occasion because it didn’t know how to correctly recognize it. When a wine connects like this, lifts you off the ground and takes you to a beautiful place, you know it is good. Intense, but perfectly balanced, so many instruments playing that still echo for minutes in a lingering finish. 26 years old yet so vibrant and wild with dark punchy fruits encapsulated by aged mahogany wood that released different flavors every time I took a sip… yeah… life is good. Offered by a friend who loves wine and even more loves to share! — 9 months ago
Crisp with good citrus balance — 7 years ago
Smooth with dark rich fruits. — 10 years ago
Aroma of rich berries. Smooth and slightly sweet with a sour note. Very good. — 13 years ago
Abby Heppelmann
had with hayden, i loved it he thought it was too sour — 5 months ago