2006 Shiraz Reserve

The 2006 Reserve Shiraz was sourced from a 45-year-old vineyard and aged for 18 months in small and large French and American oak. Opaque purple/black in color, it gives up a lavish perfume of smoke, mineral, game, bacon, and blueberry that leaps from the glass. Thick, opulent, and intense, it coats the mouth with savory fruit, spices, and a hint of chocolate. Seamless on the palate, it nevertheless conceals enough structure to evolve for a decade for those able to resist its immediate come-on. It should be at its best from 2012 to 2030. Noon, under the leadership of Drew Noon MW, remains one of Australia's iconic wineries. As usual, Drew Noon sets the bar for South Australia. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095