2017 Lamella Shiraz
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Tasting notes
Bright purple. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented red and blue fruit preserve, peony and exotic spice aromas are complemented by suggestions of smoked meat and incense. Palate-staining, black raspberry, cherry, blueberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors deepen and take on a candied licorice note as the wine opens up. Deftly blends richness and energy and betrays no rough edges. Finishes wonderfully long, with nervy, minerally cut, polished tannins and reverberating floral and exotic spice flourishes.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Josh Raynolds
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The star of this year's lineup is the 2017 Lamella Shiraz, sourced from a single dry-grown Eden Valley vineyard in the vicinity of Henscke's Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards. It shows a healthy dusting of cracked peppery and dried spices but also layers of red and blue fruit and savory notes of black olives and espresso. Full-bodied and silky but taut, it ideally needs another 2-3 years of cellaring to soften the tannins on the long, dusty finish.
Extraordinary fragrance and complexity really sets this apart, as does the very cleverly pitched ripeness that has impressive impact, without stepping over the mark. The blackberries and spices, raspberries and sweet florals lead to a palate that has a fresh array of intense fruit. A great and unique single-vineyard shiraz and a wine with phenomenal depth of flavor, delivered with such balance and grace. Drink or hold.