Shiraz and Cabernet Blends

"Powerful stuff. I'd expect nothing less from Joe Grilli at Primo Estate. Though his base is north of Adelaide, here he's using McLaren Vale fruit, from south of Adelaide. That fruit gives dense, strong wine and Joe plays it well - rich, mocha, chocolate mousse texture trying to swamp the black, superripe plumy fruit. But they shake hands and declare honours even in this muscular but soft centred wine." Oz Clarke (Oz Clarke Wine Buying Guide 2009)

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Australia‘s TOP 100 Wines, Philip White, The Adelaide Advertiser 93 points
"Take that juicy, sweet, concentrated cool climate Shiraz from Pondalowie‘s Shiraz Viognier, replace the viognier with elegant, leafy Cabernet, then add the polished Spanish leather and slightly feral tannins of the Tempranillo, and you get this profound sleeper for a quite boisterous food. You will do best if you let it assimilate a while in a good cellar, but it would be fine right now with spaghetti in a tomato sauce with black olives."

A spin on the traditional Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet with the inclusion of Tempranillo, this wine is created by harvesting the three varieties at the same time then co-fermenting them. The combination is fascinating and very drinkable! Lifted aromas of dark cherries and raspberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and subtle toasty oak intensify on the soft, rounded palate that is in great balance with its lingering finish.

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The 2007 Memsie red is a vivid ruby colour. The nose exhibits black currant and raspberry aromas. On the palate there are rich, dark berry flavours highlighted by some savoury spice with aniseed characters and smooth chalky tannins.
The wine is superbly balanced and has generous length complimented by a lingering finish.

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Robert O'Callagan's vineyard sourcing contacts are unmatched in the Barossa. They come both through his work in the 60's and 70's as vineyard liasion officer for Seppelts and through his campaigning through the 1980's to prevent the venerable old Shiraz vineyards from being pulled out. Such great support generates great loyalty.
So when Robert sources his fruit for this fabulous blend of Shiraz and Cabernet he can source fruit from some of the very best vineyards in the region. Given a fabulous vintage like 2002, the quality is exceptional.
Good colour, Medium in weight, very complex and superbly balanced. There are exceptional fruit flavours of blackberries and blackcurrants, fine tannins and subtle oak lead into a long, luxurious finish. It carries its 14.9% alcohol with ease.

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Rockford's access to some of the finest old vineyards in the Barossa shows in this classic blend. 2003 was a "Shiraz" vintage, hence the greater proportion of Shiraz in this year.

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