Shiraz 2003

[lipwig]

There is never any way of telling how long a wine should be held to drink it at its best. As a general rule though, shiraz are better drank when still somewhat young (1-3, maybe 5 years). Shiraz generally lack a tannin structure that is conducive to longer cellaring. Quite a few Australian shiraz are blended with cabernet, and if this is the case with yours it may cellar better.

Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible (a must have for, well, any wine lover) makes no guarantees but proposes these guidelines:

'With a very expensive, high-quality cabernet sauvignon, merlot, nebbiolo or other wine that is highly sturctured and full of fruit when young... wait at least 5 years'
'Reds that are better than average but not extremely pricey may need three years or so before reaching their full expression.'
'Moderately priced everyday reds are generally in good drinking shape as soon as they are released.'

I would also only hold wine for an extended period of time if I had a place where the temperature was constant and appropriate for the storage of that type of wine.

In the end, it's really up to you but hopefully this helps you a little.

Lipwig