Saturated ruby to the rim. High-toned aromas of bitter cherry, espresso, tar and cassis leaf. Juicy berry and cherry flavors offer a compellingly tangy quality; comes across as remarkably cool and vibrant for a wine with 15.2% alcohol. Very young and built to age; by far the richest of this winery '99 reds. The blackberry and black cherry flavors carry impressively on the long aftertaste.

The hugely extracted, massive 1999 Shiraz Reserve tips the scales at 15.2% alcohol. From Shiraz vines that average 35-40 years of age, it was aged in a combination of small and large oak barrels as well as puncheons. There are 580 cases of this behemoth. An opaque blue/purple color and a knockout nose of blackberry liqueur intermixed with spice box, pepper, asphalt, and licorice soar from the glass. Opulent and viscous, with tremendous palate presence, beautifully integrated acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this superb, larger-than-life wine is a tour de force for a lighter weight vintage such as 1999.