Black Market Shiraz 2016 (pre-arrival) - Barossa, SA
BM22_11
96 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
This is classic Barossa in a bottle. It’s rich, ripe and powerful, yet maintains a sense of elegance and sophistication that manages to keep its fantastic fruit concentration in check. Expect intense aromas of blackberry and spiced plum with well integrated oak adding supporting notes of baking spice, cedar and vanilla. The palate is luxurious and laden with cedar spice sitting atop a bed of ripe blackcurrant, black Doris plum and decadent chocolate brownie. The quality and complexity here should be no surprise when considering the quality of fruit from the exceptional 2016 vintage as well as the royal treatment this wine has received in the winery in the way of French oak maturation (30% new for 30 months).
With five years of bottle age already under its belt, it's texture has softened into a fine-grained, velvety network of tannins. Already drinking beautifully, but if you'd like to watch it go the distance, then you've got another decade of quality drinking ahead... consider that another box checked!
Oak treatment: Matured in French oak hogsheads (30% new) for 30 months.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Cellaring: 2036
Down from $75 /btl RRP to just $18 /btl in dozens