1998 Seven Acre Shiraz

The massive 1998 Shiraz Seven Acres performed better than it did in its youth. A nuanced, complex bouquet of black fruits, forest floor, graphite, licorice, and leather precedes a peppery, full-bodied Shiraz of extraordinary concentration, density, freshness, and vivacity. While vibrant, exuberant, and huge, it is not over the top, nor does it exhibit any evidence of wood. This has always been one of my favorite Barossa wineries - great proprietors, tiny yields, old vines, and a hands-off style of winemaking. Of all the flights we tasted, these stood out as the most riveting wines of the entire tasting. The Shiraz cuvees were off the charts - every one still young and not close to full maturity. These are all high octane wines (14.5-16% alcohol), but any evidence of wood (little new oak is used here except for the limited production Roennfeldt Road cuvee) is completely buried under the aromatic complexity and richness.