Australian Shiraz Super Wines Blind

Australian Shiraz Super Wines Blind - Episode #517

August 12, 2008

Gary Vaynerchuk Tastes 4 Aussy Shiraz’s Blind and all of these are power houses so it will be interesting to see what he thinks!

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Comments on this episode(245) Leave a comment ›

“Interesting, I had the Hardys Shiraz Eileen Hardy 2003 vintage recentl…” by mike
“I think you need to do a blind taste-off on WLTV against that fancy la…” by Chris
View all 245 ›

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Mollydooker Enchanted Path RedAustralian Red Meritage
2004 Branson Coach Rare ShirazAustralian Shiraz/Syrah
2002 Schild Moorooroo ShirazAustralian Shiraz/Syrah
2000 Hardys Shiraz Eileen HardyAustralian Shiraz/Syrah

Links mentioned in todays episode.

The Thunder Cruise

245 Responses

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about a month ago

mike
Interesting, I had the Hardys Shiraz Eileen Hardy 2003 vintage recently in a lage wine tasting and it came up as one of the better wine of the night. I did not know this wine nor it’s price and as I asked about ordering a case the price came up as 99$ (in Canada). Oops, my case suddently got smaller and smaller. Now that you mention that the 2000 vintage may also be a great wine I’ll have to try some of the other vintages to verify if this wine can repeat year after year this greatness. QOTD: I guess that would be the above mentionned wine
about a month ago

Chris
I think you need to do a blind taste-off on WLTV against that fancy lad Brian Freedman from Classic Wines!!! Take him down to China-town Gary and show him what’s what!
about a month ago

Casey Lee
nice shot gary ! mott rocks !
about 2 months ago

yowens
GV- I’ve noticed the numbers of comments have been a little low recently (step up vaynernation!). I just wanted to again thank you so much for putting together this show; I cant tell you how much I’ve learned, how much closer I’ve come to others in my life with the show, and just how much fun I have daily watching it. QOTD: I really cant remember a shiraz recently.
about 2 months ago

Matt Moate
QOTD, Creed of Barossa 2003 BISM. 150yo old bush vine shiraz. Hand made (only 350 bottles produced). Unfined, unfiltered one rack and return. Needs a good few hours on decant and has legs to go many years of cellaring. Not a fruit bomb but very lucious and elegant…
about 2 months ago

Karl Laczko
Good blind tasting. Aussie Shiraz is another wine I need to try more of, as it stands I under appreciate it.

QOTD - Grant Burge Filsell 2004 Old Vine Shiraz - Complex fruit bomb from the Barossa, enjoyable.
about 2 months ago

JudeMurphy
I’ve a bottle of aussie shiraz sitting there for tonight but apart from that never tasted it!
drtdbfjrtgbdnrgyun blaaaaah
Hello Gary!

Duplicate comment detected????
I didn’t already say that!
Must be a glitch…
about 2 months ago

JudeMurphy
I’ve a bottle of aussie shiraz sitting there for tonight but apart from that never tasted it!
drtdbfjrtgbdnrgyun blaaaaah
Hello Gary!
about 2 months ago

Dayton G
The best shiraz I’ve had lately was the ‘05 Amon-ra. Holy thundercats this stuff was a fruitastic yummy beverage. I wish I had a case of it in the cellar, but I know if I did it wouldn’t last long.
about 2 months ago

Scott - Boston
BTW - blind tasting shows what you bring to the table : FEARLESSNESS!

(Pats > Jets +

Scott & Kath - Boston
about 2 months ago

Scott - Boston
Nice episode! We’ve been tuning in to you every day for over a year, but this one is just one of your many many episodes that shines because it’s on a stray Tuesday (or whatever) and is informative, funny, loose, and all around entertaining. And you do this 5 days a week! It’s the kind of episode where you show a friend and say “And he posts all week!”
Someday you’ll move on and we’ll be missin’ the odd Wednesday love. Excellent episode, if only because it didn’t need to be. Thanks.

Scott & Kath - Boston
about 2 months ago

JayZee
QOTD: 2004 Elderton Command Shiraz - I gave it 92 points. It was a veru enjoyable, voluptuous fruit bomb - delicious.
about 2 months ago

CBone
Nice. I like the blind tastings.

QOTD: Only ever had two, and they both did their best to ruin Australian wine for me. One was a high end Penfolds (Bin something or other) that tasted like burnt rubber and falafel. I had to finish it, I was a guest at someone’s house, but it was tough going. I know I ought to try another, but I just haven’t yet. They need to tone down their packaging, too. Annoying packaging and hit-you-over-the-head branding have been a long time turn off for me. It makes me assume nonsense “fun” wine, i.e. crap-ola, lies withing. It’s a prejudice, I know, but there it is. I’ll try one again. Just not tonight. It’s Cougar Crest from Washington State for me tonight!
about 2 months ago

vinacull
Hey Gary, emerging from lurk-dom as a long term Vayniac, I have to say this was a GREAT EP, and the results seem right on target. QOTD - we drink a great deal of shiraz, about 60% of it from AUS. Here is a quick rank order of some that come to mind:
1) 2003 Burge Family Premium Shiraz Draycott - Absolute knockout nose old world style. Blown away by this wine, and unfortunately was just a one-time bottle.
2) 2004 Mitolo GAM - have had many bottles of this and it never disappoints. Excels in elegance.
3) 2005 Branson Coach Rare - Beyond tasting at WL, tried this for the first time three weeks ago. Totally agree with your comments Gary and this is one that will age very nicely.
4) 2002 Torbreck Steading - Have not liked the recent vintages quite as much, but the ‘02 was absolute killer and a great QPR for mid-20’s price point. Am a huge fan of Torbreck and virtually all price points except for Run Rig.
5) 2006 MollyDooker Carnival of Love - Excellent, but did not like this as much as we thought given a long history of drinking MP wines, and the incredible hype. Hoping for a more sublime experience with the 2005 COL. In general our experience with the portfolio of Mollydooker wines is they are not showing well at all over time, and this includes the Maitre’D, Two Left Feet, and The Boxer - all from vintages ‘05 and ‘06. This also includes serving them after the MD “shake”. Over time we are becoming less and less fans of this style.
about 2 months ago

Andrew D
Hey Gary

QOTD: Had a few good ones - a couple of old Henskie’s, I like what Tim Adams is doing in the Clare and a big rap of ‘The Story’ wines (tiny production, made from Grampions fruit in a Melbourne garage, truly bringing the thunder)
about 3 months ago

WineAngel
Please don’t accuse me of lurking.
I’ve always been a fan of Eileen Hardy for the minerality and eucalyptus on the nose (which could have been attributed to the vintages of 1991, 1997 I had). I’ve not had a Branson in over a decade since it’s bought out by Two Hands. And if I remembered Branson from the old days, they had an interesting way of training the vines. Anyway, this episode has started me back on the shiraz track as I just had 7 shirazes from the 1998 vintage all blinded to share with a group of friends. This included the St Henri, Elderton Command Shiraz, Clarendon Hills (sandown), Rosemount Mountain Blue (blend), Warrenmeng Black Puma, The Dead Arm and Katnook’s Prodigy. The winner of the blind-tasting was the Prodigy. Do seek out Warranmeng ‘Luigi’ or even his Nebbiolo which I’m not sure he has for export. I have great respect for this winemaker, probably in his 70s and an Italian decent. As I remember how much you love ’sour cherries’, you’ll find his wines very laid-back in style, far from overly powering in oak or extracted.
about 3 months ago

Daniel O
I love these blind tastings!

QOTD: Amon-Ra! It was awesome! 95 points in my book!
about 3 months ago

Bill
More of the blind tests, Dr. V - loved it!
about 3 months ago

chito
Sweet Gary, I ordered 3 bottles of the Branson Coach 1 month ago from WineLibrary and had not opened any of them. How long do you think they will cont. to hold and hopefully improve? Loved the show and really enjoy the blind tasting format. As always, thanks for the great work you do and keep it up. Just to let you know, spoke with diehard GB fans and they will be wearing Favre Jet jerseys.
Al
about 3 months ago

Carlitos
QOTD. Not my favorite category…
about 3 months ago

life's too short...
QOTD: Flinder’s Run, bro. Got it from WL!
about 3 months ago

Dan Farley
Love the blind tasting format. Could you maybe use a Sharpie next time to the numbers are a bit easier to read?

QOTD: 2004 D’arenberg D’arry’s Original Shiraz/ Grenache. Great value Shiraz with nice balance.
about 3 months ago

Jim in Atlanta
QOTD - I don’t remember my favorite Australian shiraz, but it was probably from D’Arenberg. I have also enjoyed some good Mollydooker wines even though I not a big fruit bomb lover. I have friends who like this style and I have to admit that some of them are fun to drink.
about 3 months ago

Dan-o
GV - I really like the blind tastings. This was a good show and I have been an Aussie Shiraz fan in the past. As you said, as the palate changes, you need a break and I was on a break recently from the Aussies.

QOTD - I am going to give some “ups” to the Sarah and Sparky with this comment - my wife and I recently had a 2003 Marquis Phillips No. 9 Shiraz and it was dynamite!
about 3 months ago

Kirk (aka: slave2thevine)
Wow…I had to actually check my cellartracker to remind me of Australian Shiraz’s that I have tasted…I think of the one’s I’ve had in the last 7.5 months I’d have to say that Two Hand’s Bella’s Garden was the one that shocked and impressed me the most. It was powerful but elegant…and I really enjoyed it.