Friday, November 15, 2013

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000

A quiet weekend evening at home by the fire invites a hearty Aussie Syrah (aka Shiraz) with artisan cheese and meat plate. We broke open a case and pulled out a Rosemount Balmoral Syah 2000 for the occasion. We still hold several (six-pack) cases of assorted vintages dating back to 1992 so it continues to be an adventure tasting and watching the different vintages as they age.

As is often the case, I selected and 'blind' tasted this vintage without checking any tasting or cellaring notes beforehand, but I seemed to recall this vintage was reaching end of its apex and was due to be consumed. Afterwards, I checked, and unlike some earlier tasting notes of this vintage, this 2000 was especially vibrant and expressive, bursting with floral aromas and intense full raspberry flavors, without showing the age diminution found in some other bottles. Perhaps it vibrancy was due to it came out of a just opened case and had more consistent and appropriately stable provenance (storage).

Tonight this showed that usual dark inky purple color and medium to full body. It was extremely aromatic with complex flavorful blue berry and ripe black raspberry fruits. It did not, however like earlier notes, give way to ripe raisin, leather, earthiness, tar and tobacco with an aftertaste of smoke. It retained its vibrant fruits with hints of currant and plum turning to tones of vanilla, glycerin and mineral while the deep aromatics lingered on the long soft silky tannin finish.

I gave this a 92, the same rating I had given it earlier before subtracting for the slight diminution of fruit.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14749

http://www.rosemountestate.com.au/