'03 Marquis-Philips 9 Shiraz

[newsguy]

($35). this huge shiraz comes from mclaren vale (60%) and padthaway (40%) grapes. double-splash decanted. black in center, going to dark reddish purple at rim; opaque. remarkably intense nose of dark fruit and creamy vanilla, with hints of earth. dark fruits on the very strong entry, going to black pepper on the big midpalate and cream on the long finish. after 2 hours, hints of coffee and licorice appeared on the finish. not just a major fruit bomb, this has surprisingly good structure, with very fine tannins and good acidity. for such a young wine, i was amazed at how seamless this is already. and it's very concentrated, yet not overly sweet or jammy. didn't even notice the 16.0% -- that's correct, sixteen percent -- alcohol. drinks great right now, yet would benefit with 2-5 more years in the bottle. 93+ points.

[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 10-28-2004).]

[Innkeeper]

Sounds like a winner!