Hazy Blur Shiraz with Pizza

Hazy Blur South Australia Shiraz with Pizza

After a day of travel returning home from our Destin (FL) vacation rental, we ordered in Pizza from our favorite neighborhood pizzeria. We pulled from the cellar and opened a vintage aged big Aussie Shiraz as a ‘pizza wine’ accompaniment. 

HazyBlur Adelaide Plains South Australia Shiraz 2004

We’ve had a long history of exploration of the broad range of labels of this producer’s South Australia Shiraz including three times of this particular label. Their style is one we enjoy with big, full, round, fruit forward and concentrated fruits. 

I’ve featured this producer in more detail in earlier posts, that they derive their whimsical name from the mirage visual effects from the heat rising off the vineyards. 

Our records show we’ve tasted and posted notes of this particular label three times, all seventeen years ago, prior to or in the earliest days of this blogpost on this platform - December 23, 2008, January 7, 2008, April 4, 2008

Earlier posts of tasting notes of this label -

In December of 2009, I wrote - Dense and spicy, with a rich core of blueberry, plum and cherry fruit that rises through a layer of fine tannins to take over the finish. 91 Points

(2,270 Cellertracker views)

A year earlier in December of 2008 - I wrote: Fruit filled and forward - full flavored loganberry, cherry, graphite mineral core, then a subtle, full, rich raspberry. 89 Points

(2,881 CellarTracker views) 

Earlier that year in April of 2008 - I wrote: The Hazy Blur is fruit filled and forward with a full flavored loganberry, cherry, graphite mineral core, and a subtle, full, rich raspberry. 89 Points

Our records show numerous notations from our long history of exploration with the range of labels of South Austrailian Shiraz’ from this producer.

Hazyblur South Australia Kangaroo Island Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - December 4, 2010
HazyBlur Baroota Shiraz 2004 - May 18, 2006, December 31, 2007, December 31, 2009
HazyBlur Baroota Shiraz 2003 - Oct 16, 2006
HazyBlur Adelaide Plains South Australia Shiraz 2004 - December 23, 2008, January 7, 2008, April 4, 2008
HazyBlur Adelaide Plains South Australia Shiraz 2003 - April 20, 2005
HazyBlur Adelaide Plains South Australia Shiraz 2001 - January 20, 2009
HazyBlur South Australia Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2006 - July 17, 2010
HazyBlur South Australia Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2004 - February 14, 2007, December 31, 2009
HazyBlur McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 - December 31, 2009

We still hold a half dozen labels from this producer, and, tonight, we opened the oldest vintage in our cellar as part of cellar inventory management, one from the 2004 vintage release.

HazyBlur Adelaide Plains South Australia Shiraz 2004 

At 20 years, the label, foil, and most importantly the fill level and cork, were still appropriate - the cork showing some signs of slight seepage, but still moist, soft and intact (as shown).

Tonight’s tasting was consistent with earlier notes. 

Dense and spicy, with a rich core of blueberry, plum and cherry fruit that rises through a layer of fine tannins to take over the finish.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=150188

Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2013 at Bluebeards Indy

Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2013 at Bluebeards Indy

We dined at Bluebeard Restaurant in the trendy Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis with Eric and Cathy and Pat and Rodger. Bluebeard is sited in an old garage with beam ceilings, brick walls, a large ornate entry door with a cozy side bar. The Bluebeard menu is comprised of small, medium and large sharable plates of seafood, pasta, and steak. A selection of side salads were also large enough for sharing. There's also a cheese and charcuterie selection and an appropriate suitable dessert menu.

I chose a favorite, foie gras which was delectable, not sufficient for sharing necessarily, but ideal for a red wine accompaniment. Eric & Cathy shared the Pappardelle italian sausage with sugo, basil, and parmesan, Linda and Pat shared the Coquilles St. Jacques with leeks, crimini mushroom, parmesan cream, toasted bread crumbs. 

The Bluebeard wine list offered a carefully selected diverse selection of American, French and Italian including many well known favorites and many premium and ultra-premium selections. Favorite selections that you'll read about in these pages or find in our cellar included (with some representative reference prices) Robert Craig, Chappellet, Crossbarn, Dominus ($500), Silver Oak (AV $180), Spring Valley, Venge (Scouts Honor $80) and Turley. The Italian and French selections included popular names Gaja, Giacosa, Chapoutier, Paul Jaboulet, Barone Ricasoli Casalferro, Gaja Pieve Santa Restitua and Luce. There were also some Australian Penfolds and Spanish selections for Bordeaux varietal wine drinkers, Numanthia and Cune at both ends of the price spectrum.

Generally, the prices were a bit high at, or slightly more than 2X retail, but I also found this ideal selection for our dinner at almost retail price which was a rare anomalous bargain on the list.

Label shown from 2014

Pride describe this Merlot "as a Cabernet-lover’s Merlot with its thick and round mid-palate but this one also has tremendous density and size. The wine is packed full of stuffing, with flavors of chocolate, plum, strawberry, wet shale, crushed rose petal and za’atar spice. The blend is predominantly Merlot from our 12 estate vineyard blocks, with 8% of our Rock Arch Cabernet Sauvignon added for structure, depth of flavor and persistence."

Antonio Galloni gave this a Rating of 90 points. His review: "The Merlot is deep, dense and powerful, but it also drinks surprisingly well for the year. Dark cherry, mocha, plum, smoke, licorice, spice and French oak are all quite forward. Drink this plump, giving Merlot over the next handful of years. The 40% new French oak is a bit dominant today."

I liked it even though it was a bit obtuse, not polished or well integrated, with a slight edge that may wear off with some aging, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, bright vibrant black berry fruits with tones of spice, oak, and a layer of smokey notes of anise and hints of mocha and plum on a sharp tangy fruity finish. 

This is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Pride estate vineyards at the top of Spring Mountain on the Napa side with some of the vineyards on the Sonoma side of the summit, hence it has an Napa/Sonoma designation. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1968548

https://www.pridewines.com/

http://bluebeardindy.com/

Hazyblur South Australia Adelaide Plains Shiraz 2002

Hazyblur South Australia Adelaide Plains Shiraz 2002

We have several vintages of this label, times several labels from this producer, who generally provides high QPR tasty easy drinking.

This is the oldest in our cellar and oldest when tasted. It wasn't as concentrated, smooth, balanced or polished as my earlier rating of the 2001 vintage, or of the 2003 vintage might indicate. Setting aside the fact these are three different vintages, when I analyze those reviews, they were 94 points at 2 years of age, 92 at eight years of age, 91 points at ten years of age, and now 87 points at fourteen years of age. Is there a message or a trend here? I would say so, the tasting window on Cellartracker says drink by 2009 ... drink up ... It was great with pizza in any event.

The 2001 at fourteen is garnet colored, medium bodied with bright cherry and black berry giving way to tones of cedar and leather with hints of green pepper and tar returning to a bit of cedar on the lingering finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=7295