WTN Groom Shiraz 2004

My wine guy gave me a bottle (which should tell you I'm spending far too much at his store), and told me they are going to start carrying it. He wanted to know what I thought. I thought "Wow! I want more." It was garnet with dull ruby edges. The nose was wonderful, with coffee, cherries and oak. It took a conscious effort to stop smelling and start tasting. The palate was balanced, but explosive with fruit. Cherries, chocolate and blackberries were barely restrained, balanced by tar and tannins. The finish was long and dry, very full, and tasted of fruit, plum skins and toasted coconut. Extraordinary. A personal rating of 95.

Groom Shiraz 2004
Marschall Groom Cellars
Barossa Valley
Australia
13.8% alcohol
Imported by Lisalisa Inc.
Suggested price approx. $34, actual price FREE! (this time- my wine guy's worse than my crack dealer).

My wine guy gave me a bottle (which should tell you I'm spending far too much at his store), and told me they are going to start carrying it. He wanted to know what I thought.

Been there, done that, had to cut back and go through withdrawal.

The nose was wonderful, with coffee, cherries and oak. It took a conscious effort to stop smelling and start tasting.

I am an admitted aroma junkie and just love to find wines that captivate me like this. When one grabs me, I will spend several minutes savoring the smell. At informal tastings, people frequently ask me what I think of such a wine. They end up surprised when I tell them I like the aroma/bouquet so much, I haven't gotten around to actually tasting the wine yet.

BTW ... nice tasting notes.

-- Clark

Thank you. I'm pretty new at this, so I appreciate the feedback.

I may be wrong, but isn't this made by Daryl Groom, the same guy who used to be responsible for making Penfolds Grange (Hermitage)?

Yes, that is my understanding.

Nice note, D....Groom shiraz (2001) is the first wine I ever special ordered from a wine shop. It might be time to dig one out. Last I tried the '02 (Aug '05) it is was in a weird, disjointed place.
What I really like about Groom is that it carries so much flavor depth without either the jamminess or over-extraction that I sometimes find in Barossa shiraz. There is lots of oak though and I'm curious to see how that all integrates with age.

That's a good price - several dollars a bottle cheaper than it sold for in Australia (around A$50). I have a few at home, but figured it would be a waste to open them so soon.
cheers,
Graeme