de Négoce Shiraz OG N.279 Skillogalee

I can't be quite as enthusiastic as I once was about this. It is still a nice representation of Aussie Shiraz, but the elements don't seem as harmonious as prior bottles. 5+11+16+8= 90

This is a big bold wine that requires a minimum 30 minute decant. Bouquet of dark red fruit, roasted lamb chops with herbs de Provenance and menthol or Eucalyptus. Broad and mouth coating on the palate with depth of dark red fruit, cinnamon and oak. Nice mouth coating mild tannins on the finish.

Bottle 4, and better than ever. About 2 or 3 hours open before it was fully expressive, but this is unmistakably Aussie in identity without the pratfalls commonly associated with the genre. Shoulda bought a full case instead of a half.

Just upfront--this is fantastic. This is why we buy DN wines. Per Cam's release notes, this is Skillogalee winery Trevarrick Shiraz. Decanted for 45min, back to bottle for 3h. Still needed to open up in the glass. Aromas of cloves, baking spices, and rich chocolate leap out of the glass. There is some deep, dark, extracted fruit way underneath. Palate is layered, complex, tight and interesting. Despite being full-bodied, it comes off rather lightweight. It has excellent acidity that makes …

Not nearly as much as an Aussie jam-bomb and I had initially feared. A great value at the price. Side note: this bottle was part of a 6-pack that was shipped in 90-degree heat and then sat outside for a full day as I was out of town. The wine showed no ill effects from this mistreatment, and to DeNegoce's credit they shipped me another 6-pack without asking for the previous one to be sent back.

A long decant is required for this wine. After 15 minutes in the glass, this was overly grippy and chalky on the front palate which completely overpowered the fruit on the mid palate. After two hours in the glass, the grip and chalk on the front palate melted away to reveal beautiful pure fruit, and the grip and chalk faded to the finish. On the nose I get black licorice, dark red fruit and a hint of menthol or eucalyptus. …

Second bottle of this and I'm still a fan. The longer it's open, the better. And it has a more complex bouquet than its N.280 cousin. I like the extra little lavender and pink peppermint elements

Second bottle. First tried last September and found it disjointed and underwhelming. Was worried that I had a case of duds. Five months later, splash decanted at 61 degrees and poured a glass. Nothing offputting anymore, and a much more well-integrated wine now. More fruit forward than I expected, and not detecting much in the way of the black peppery notes I typically associate with syrah/shiraz. Has some tannic presence which I like and a medium long finish. Stoppered and …

We drank this alongside a Fowles Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch 2015. Decanted the 279 for several hours but it was still “bristling”. The second night 279 was great, smoother & more integrated. The Ladies was more “elegant” but may be fading a bit.

two day decant..very disjointed and young for a 2016 wine..good nose, bad aftertaste

3 hour decant. Could have used another 3. Tart cranberry, plum, jammy blackberry. Subtle spice and pepper notes. Palate is very jammy and over-ripe. Alcohol is noticeable in the palate. Long tannic finish. There is moderate acidity, but I’m just not sure if this one is meant to go the distance and will improve in the bottle. 4+11+15+6

I am not sure about this wine - for me it has aromas of cherry cola - super sweet mixed with mint-y-ness. Seemed like high alcohol, and high astringency. Honestly I find it off-putting. I am hopeful that this just needs much more air & time to improve than I provided. My initial reaction was that despite the sweet fruit aromas, it was nothing but sharp alcohol and very tannic. It was better with food but still too much of …

Notes after 3 hours open. Very dark ruby color, free of any sediment or haze. Massive bouquet of fruit and florals with a good helping of earth and mulch, tobacco, licorice, and pencil shavings. The palate is bold and generous but also young and primary. This is not your bro-in-law's Mollyglooper. There actually is structure here with a nice core of tannins supporting all that fruit. Very long on the finish and in this case, the high abv is just …

What a spectacular wine. Big. Bold. Beautifully balanced. Plentiful acidity. A finish that went on for nearly forever. Leather, yes. Deep, dark fruits, yes. Menthol notes, yes. Spicy, yes. Absolutely delicious with plenty of structure to last for years.