@ $169 Compromises are for relationships, not wine (2010) wine offer

2006 Coriole 'Lloyd Reserve' Shiraz

This really is a booming, no-holds- barred Shiraz of exceptional quality. It's the best Shiraz we've had on since the 2006 Hewitson ‘Mad Hatter' which was our star of 2009. Interestingly enough, the vine age for both wines is nearly identical and the vineyards are only a kilometre or so apart.

The Lloyd Reserve comes from a single vineyard on the Coriole estate that was planted around the time World War 1 ended. The soil in the vineyard is predominantly terra rossa - the most famous of Australia's wine growing soils - which is red earth over limestone. Terra Rossa tends to produce wines of great intensity and structure which often have a good backbone for cellaring.

Dry-grown, handpicked, fermented in small batches before resting in fine French oak - the Lloyd Reserve gets the royal treatment from the get-go.  It gets full marks for concentration and complexity with oodles of thick, beefy Shiraz characters steaming from the glass.

This is a high calibre Shiraz that will age for up to 20 years. If you're going to drink it soon, be sure to give it some time in a decanter.

 

RRP $85

Tim's Rating: 96/100

James Halliday: 96/100

Jeremy Oliver 95/100

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