Rusden, Black Guts Shiraz, Barossa Valley

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Day 1: Natural cork. 16% alcohol. I have been buying these great Aussie producers on Auction for less than original pricing back in the day and rewards have been high. Raspberries, menthol, black pepper, earth, spices and black licorice. All that heat back on the day is gone and just reveals an amazing wine with a medium plus finish. Outstanding buy under $40. 94 points Day 2: Wow is this holding form and maybe a half a point better. Coffee …

Deep mahogany garnet to the rim in colour, the nose shows distinct super-ripe blackberry, cassis, to blackberry jam (I call it nastergaal, chokeberry), hints off evolution with some jube fruit and in the glass opens further to black toffee, liquorice, thick pile carpet (!), muscovado sugar and raisin. The palate is alive with fruit, layered fruit, full-bodied with power yet fabulously balanced with granular acidity (perhaps added?) and well-integrated alcohol despite being 16% and underscored by some sweet fruit and …

Sensational. Smooth, fruity but no bom, cork in good condition. Wish I bought more.

Past it's prime, drink up.

Australian Wine Dinner at JJJ's Hacienda.

Had the opportunity to taste this wine and the 2006 together with Dennis Canute. Not the most garrulous of chaps, but a man proud of his wines. Dark purple in color and starting to show some age on the edges. I noticed a lot of meat, smoke, and tobacco . Unfortunately, I did not take detailed notes, but I can say this was a very fine wine indeed.

hawksmoor-dark purplr-big fruity wine, mostly black fruits with a bit of smoke to it, very viscous and thick in the mouth, evolved in the glass with a little mocha flavor.very long very big very young

decanted 3 hours-dark color, looks very youthful, big big nose of sweet fruit, black cherries (cherry coke???) brown sugar fills the mouth, very visous and youthful, sweet fruit comes through with some chocolate as well, long finish, still improving and will get better i think, well balanced and no real hot aussie burn to it

Maybe my palate has changed, but this was just rocket fuel. The alcohol was overpowering, and the oak/spice of this wine was staggering. Fruit was intense and very, very powerful, but, when added together with everything, this wine is just too overbearing. It did not go with food, and was too powerful for just a glass of wine. If you like this style, then this is super-charged over the top Aussie Fruit bomb with a whole lot of structure. I …

Wow! This is great stuff! After 1 hour in the decanter a massive nose of blue and blackberry with hints of tar, chocolate and asia spices jumps out of the glass. I could easily smell this for hours - a perfect Barossa Valley Shiraz nose. The "wow" continuous in the mouth: a powerfull blast of black fruits and asian spices, but with a seamless purity and balance without any rough edges. Even though 16 % alc, there was no heat …

Was killer on day 1 with lamb... seemed to go flat rather quickly.

Tasted Blind. Complex nose of dark fruit, tobacco, chocalate and coffe kept evolving. Palate was a litte disappointing with big jammy sweet rd fruit. It was complex and the finish just kept on going.

Great bottle. Had it the first night after about an hour in the decantur, poured the other half into a 375 for the second night. Still young, but "iron fist in a velvet glove" tends to describe this wine. No heat or hard edges to be found, just a monolithic blast of black fruits. The second night it was even better. Massive fruit still there, but the wine developed alot of secondary characteristics. Too bad it was gone so quick. …