2003 Marquis Philips - Shiraz South Eastern Australia
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Tasting notes
The first night I think the bottle was too warm. I pulled it from the cellar but didn't get to try it until later in the evening. Had a nice nose of dark fruit but was almost to soft in the mouth and a little hot. I stuck the bottle in the fridge and tried it later with some improvement. The next day, great nose jam packed with black currant, berries, chocolate and new oak. Really like the nose and would almost guess it for a Napa cab. Maybe a little pepper. Nice full mouth feel. Really low acidity and just clings to your mouth. Not much in the way of tannin but a nice slightly spicy finish. Still very nice. Kept getting better and better on the second day.
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Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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The 2003 Shiraz is ripe, juicy, and fleshy. Dark ruby/purple-colored, with blackberry, charcoal, and fig characteristics, this medium to full-bodied, potent, mouthfilling red can be enjoyed over the next 2-4 years. The highly respected South Australian viticulturists/winemakers, Sarah and Sparky Marquis, in partnership with their importer, Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate, successfully launched the inexpensive line of Marquis Philips wines several years ago, creating something of a monster because of their enormous crowd appeal. While 2003 is a lighter vintage than its predecessors, these offerings have turned out nicely. The handful of consumers who deemed 2002 too concentrated for such inexpensive wines will be delighted to learn that the 2003s are slightly lighter, but still loaded with character as well as flavor. They possess heavy duty, exuberant fruit, ripeness, and considerable personality. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283
(15.5% alcohol) Bright ruby-red. Lively aromas of dark berries, violet pastille, licorice and mace. Cool, nicely concentrated flavors of black raspberry and blackberry. Smooth, sweet, nicely balanced shiraz, with more verve than the cabernet. Finishes aromatic and persistent. You can easily spend twice the price of this wine for less satisfying shiraz from Australia.