From the Cellar
Penfolds 2005 Thomas Hyland Shiraz (Australia)
30 Jul 2014- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(May 23, 2014) ... Dinner with friends is always made more enjoyable when you can pull out an interesting bottle of wine. Which is why tonight proved to be a hell of a lot of fun. When most people think Penfolds they think of their Grange wine, but here is an under $20 bottle that truly delivered without having to break the bank or 'wait 15 years till it's ready'; I know it's nine years old already but I didn't have to wait that long, I chose to. Nose is still very fruit forward with raspberry, blackberry and a hint of white pepper - it's like the pepper casually showed showed up because it had nothing better to do, and it was just a dash mind you. The palate had a nice spice and lasting acidity so that jammy Aussie Shiraz notion one might bring to the table threw itself out the window by the third sip. The fruit was deep, rich black cherry and cassis with a smooth mid-palate yet with peppery nuances on finish. Glad I gave this one a little time as it expressed what Oz Shiraz should be: balanced ripe fruit with a tannin/acid backbone.
