2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz Covenant - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (2/1/2008)
When I first opened I thought it was corked. An aroma I sometimes get from N. Rhones. It kind of distracted me but on the palate was very nice. Fruit was present and counted for.Sweet ripe fruit. Plums and a tiny touch of prunes. Sweet and tart. Needs some time. A fair amount of sweet oak. Long finish. Metallic elements make it interesting. Hopefully with some time the sweet primary fruit will settle down. Very enjoyable. Not jammy or overly heavy. On the second day it was clearly not corked. The aromatics had cleared up and I really enjoyed it. Okay to go now ... but I think time will payoff nicely. (92 pts.)
2004 d'Arenberg d'Arry's Original - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (2/1/2008)
Another great bargain from d'Arenberg. At first the aromatics were dominated by scortched earth and tar. I am left slightly wanting. With time it opened up and showed more complexity. Balanced fruit and acid. In the middle is peppery spice, beef broth with a small touch of soy. But the fruit still carries right through. Long finish. Medium/light tannin. Herbaceous. Quite abit of citrusy acid on the finish. This still needs time. On the second day it showed even better. Also, I left a small splash in the bottle to re-visit later ... but I forgot. After 2 days of sitting completely open I discovered the splash. Into my glass it went. Although it is quite tart, the fruit is still there and very clean and the wine doesn't even seem oxidized. I will wait 4-6 years for my last bottle. (90 pts.)
Cheers,
Jason