"Vibrant fruit supported by savoury spice, well-proportioned oak and velvety tannins. There is a lot going on with this wine in terms of flavour and texture yet it manages to be elegant and alluring."
Wine House
"This wine was bottled in January 2011 and is finally showing its true colours as I taste it in the heart of this blustery winter. I prefer to get to know the wines over a long period after bottling before attempting to interpret how I relate to them and how they relate to me. I am excited to finally see this one awaken. The signature of the 2009 vintage in temperate South Australia will prove to be the seamlessness of most of the reds. By that I mean they are wines of restraint and grace conducive to time in tomb. As much as simply critiquing wine by savouring many bottles we can look at the mechanics of the growing season. A November heat wave upset the dainty flowers in 2008, decimating yields for the 2009 harvest. A moderate summer with blue skies and timely rain allowed for controlled shoot growth and maximum leaf function. Small berries (a result of minimal seasonal rain and minimal irrigation) resulted in concentration of skin tannins, colour and body of the wine. Coolish nights allowed for the retention of bright natural acid...and so on. I could go on but you're best to visit me for the afternoon at Samuel's Gorge. I think that's where we start with the 2009 Shiraz. It's a wine with genuine fruit purity that is then complemented by a range of spice; wild fennel, aniseed and a dollop of harissa. In the background there are scents of sweet wet clay on a potter's wheel. I then smell the occasional waft of smoke that swirls around a pile of dried kelp. The flavours are full but fresh with the fruits of mulberry, blueberry and Satsuma plum. It has darkness and restrained power. All gaps are filled in, all the bits have fallen into place. Clasp your fingers, 'here's the steeple'. Linked, intertwined. It's a wine that is stitched (not riveted) together with an expertly gentle hand. I'd like to think it would fetch a million pounds Sterling in a hundred years."
Samuels Gorge Wines, July 2011
Country:
Australia
Region:
SA- McLaren Vale
Variety:
Wine Red - Shiraz
Size:
750mL
