2006 The Armagh Shiraz

Brimming with a wide spectrum of blue and black-fruit aromas, this still has enticing youthfulness. A very rich wine, but you don’t feel the 15.5% alcohol, thanks to the stack of fine tannins Very long and remarkably fresh finish. The same wine under cork closure has more tar and is more massively tannic and chewy at the finish, rating one point lower. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Needs a good swirling of the glass to open up, still pretty reductive even at 16 years old. It has striking texture and weight, with the raspberry and black cherry fruit shot through with mandarin peel, five spice and fennel, all offering essential freshness against the richer chocolate and liqourice depths. An icon vintage at the property, still muscular and with punch, and although it is ready to drink with a good few hours in a carafe, it has further to go. 100% new oak, a mix of both French and American, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Inky purple color. Explosively perfumed bouquet of blackberry and blueberry liqueur, licorice, fruitcake, incense and dried violet. Lush and creamy but penetrating, offering sweet, extremely powerful boysenberry and blueberry flavors, molten tannins and a sexy note of candied flowers. Refuses to let up on the finish, which echoes the sweet blueberry note and leaves spice, pepper and floral notes in its wake. I find this more energetic than the wonderful 2005 and 2004 versions.