Australia

Rating

99

Release Price

$100

Drink Date

1998 - 2038

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

26th Jun 1998

Source

117, The Wine Advocate

An Austrian winemaker named Rolf Binder, who is also the winemaker for Veritas, has produced this intriguing wine. It takes winemaking to the extreme, yet manages to pull it off without producing a total freak.. How do you describe a wine such as this? Yields were a minuscule one ton of fruit per acre from 60-year old vines, production was 100 cases, and the wine's alcohol content is a mammoth 16.5%. This wine, which lasted four days in the bottle before I decided to pass the balance through my bowels, displays an opaque black/purple color, and exotic, coffee, chocolate, Asian spice, roast duck, and blackberry and prune liqueur-like aromas. To say the wine is unctuously-textured is an understatement. This wine looks like 10-W-40 motor oil. Very thick and dry, yet remarkably balanced, with fabulous purity, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute, this spectacular Shiraz will become more civilized with each year of aging. It is the type of wine some Pomerol estates produced in such vintages as 1947, 1949, and 1950, but would not dare to fashion today because modern oenologists refuse to let the grapes become this ripe. A winemaking tour de force, The Malcolm Shiraz should age effortlessly for 40 or more years. 

Rating

96+

Release Price

$300

Drink Date

2006 - 2026

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

26th Dec 2006

Source

168, The Wine Advocate

A wine of extraordinary intensity, richness, and extract (yields were .5 tons of fruit per acre), the 2004 Shiraz Duck Muck is a totally dry red that tips the scales at 17.5% alcohol. While it pushes the limits of civilized drinking, it is neither pruny nor hot, and should be tasted with an open mind and no hidden agenda (not as easy as one might expect, especially for Eurocentric palates). Inky/purple to the rim with a glorious perfume of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creosote, and vanilla, it was aged in 100% new, heavily toasted French and American barrels for two years prior to bottling. It is nearly off the charts in terms of richness and extract. Although not for everybody, for those who are not reactionary in their tastes, it is an amazing wine that will be fascinating to follow over the next two decades.   

Rating

(94 - 96)

Release Price

$100

Drink Date

2013 - 2031

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

31st Oct 2006

Source

167, The Wine Advocate

Magpie’s luxury cuvee (which was last produced in 1999), the 2005 Shiraz Malcolm, spent 12 months in new American oak and 12 months in new French 500 liter pungeons. This is the ultimate 200% new oak wine. Nevertheless, it holds it well, which gives you an idea of just how concentrated this beast is. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by notes of creosote, blueberry liqueur, violets, and a hint of camphor. Super-rich, powerful, and opulent, with a formidable level of tannin, it should hit its peak in 7-8 years and last for 25 or more.  

Rating

98

Release Price

$110

Drink Date

2016 - 2041

Reviewed by

Jay S Miller

Issue Date

25th Feb 2009

Source

181, The Wine Advocate

The flagship of Kilikanoon is the 2006 Attunga 1865 Shiraz. Thick and rich, it coats the glass with glycerin. It gives up a brooding bouquet of wood smoke, game, truffle, espresso, leather, blueberry, and blackberry leading to a massive, masculine, full-bore Shiraz with dense, spicy fruit, a splendid integration of oak, tannin, and acidity, and a 60-second finish. It merits a decade of cellaring and will reward those with discipline with 25 years of pleasurable drinking from 2016 to 2041.   

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2008 Bin 620 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz (a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz) is a little restrained on the nose, presenting earthy, black truffle, moss covered bark and loam aromas over gentle notes of cassis, crushed blackberries, chocolate mint and pencil shavings, plus a fragrant whiff of cloves. Medium to full bodied, very ripe and rich in the mouth, the complex, layered fruit is densely packed and well supported by firm, finely grained tannins and very crisp acid. The finish is very long with a subtle hint of mint interspersed with warm berries, vanilla and baking spices. Consider drinking it 2015 to 2025+. Only about 900 cases were made of this wine.

Score: 98+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (199), February 2012

Deep garnet-purple in color and sporting a very forward and expressive, creme de cassis-led nose with hints of dried mint, dark chocolate and cigar boxes plus a whiff of dried herbs following, the full-bodied 2010 Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, concentrated and classic Barossa Cabernet style shaped by medium to firm, grainy tannins and crisp acid. It finishes very long. Drink now to 2015+.   

Rating

96+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2020 - 2045

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

30th Jun 2017

Source

231, The Wine Advocate

This is the first vintage of Yalumba’s new Cabernet/Shiraz-based flagship wine. Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz The Caley offers expressive baked blackberries, cherry cordial and blackcurrant jelly notes with suggestions of Chinese five spice, cedar and anise. The palate is built like a brick house, delivering a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support and complement the voluptuous, full-bodied flesh. It offers a very long, layered finish with lingering exotic spice and black berry preserves notes. Give it 3-5 more years in bottle and drink it over the next twenty-five.

Rating

95

Release Price

$350

Drink Date

2023 - 2040

Reviewed by

 Joe Czerwinski

Issue Date

11th Jun 2019

Source

June 2019 Week 2, The Wine Advocate

A blend of 55% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Barossa Valley Shiraz, Yalumba's 2013 The Caley is only the second vintage to be released. Aged in 40% new French oak, it features fine, aristocratic aromas of pencil shavings, mint and dark fruit. Cassis, baking spices and hints of meat and mint come forth on the palate. It's medium to full-bodied, with rich, velvety tannins that remain firm and lasting on the finish. I tasted this from a bottle that had been decanted the previous night, so you'll want to give it plenty of air, or ideally, just cellar it for another five years before broaching a bottle.

Yalumba's roving ambassador, Jane Ferrari, was recently in New York to launch the winery's line of old tawnies and the latest release of its new flagship, The Caley. Both are not to be missed by lovers of Australian wine. Unfortunately, both come with price tags that will limit the likelihood of being purchased. The Samuel's Collection trio of Grenache, Shiraz and Viognier are more popularly priced, representing solid values for around $20.