2001 Marquis/Phillips S2 McClaren Vale

[winoweenie]

A friend came over last nite and was raving about this new imported Shiraz. He had just run into the 2002. I asked if they had offered any of their cabs, he said no, so I decided to BEND my sabbatical slightly and opened pnr of these knowing I was commiting infanticide. Completely opaque. Howm-so-ebberly the nose opened in about 5 min in the glass revealing massive amounts of black fruits, cassis, and a spicy-sweet core that added comlexity. Not nearly as inaccessible as imagined. Solid entry, weighty center and a 4 lapper finish. Sweet tannins that will carry this at least another 5-8. A VERY enjoyable glass of juice.90/92.20 by the box. ww

[Drew]

The 2001's are, IMHO, far superior to the 02's. Haven't tried the S2, glag you enjoyed it.

Drew

[newsguy]

gentlemen, i am very happy to say i have 4 bottles of the '01 S2 in my wine locker. yes, this is *very* enjoyable juice. if u like 'em big, it's hard to imagine a better value than this.

[winoweenie]

I tried the 02 Shiraz and passed. The 02 Cab hasn't hit our fair city yet. Will report whenced it passes me ruby-red lips. WW

[newsguy]

i had been planning to wait until '05 to try my next bottle of this, but decided to pop one a little early as i had heard on another board that this wasn't ageing as well as expected.

still deep opaque blackish-purple. double decanted for an hour. rich nose of sweet vanilla, butterscotch, dark fruits (with plums in the lead) and hints of cherry and spice. full flavors of same. great concentration, a rich mouthfeel and very light tannins that only come into play after decanting a couple hours. perfect balance. 91 points.

while i certainly enjoyed this wine, i think i actually liked it a little better upon release. i have 3 bottles left and will drink one per year for the next 3 years. if you're sitting on multiple bottles of this, i'd suggest popping one now to see what you think. and please post here. personally, i'm thinking the joys of this wine in its youth are going to prove greater than that of long-term aging. parker gave it a drinking window through 2017. i don't think i'd take a bottle past 2010, based on last night's experience.

[wondersofwine]

I think I have two or three bottles of the S2 (but I'm not sure if it's the 2001 or 2002). Will check over the weekend and if I have three bottles, I may open one soon. I decided to wait until 2005 to open any more of the 2002 Sarah's Blend.