Region
McLaren Vale
Grape
Cabernet Shiraz Merlot
Tasting Notes
Composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot, the 2009 Church Block has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and intense aromas of black cherry and blueberry plus hints of chocolate box, baking spices and vanilla. Rich, ripe and with mouth-filling, vibrant flavors on the medium to full bodied palate, it has a medium to firm level of grainy tannins, crisp acid and a long primary-fruit finish. Drink it now to 2016.
-88 pts by Robert Parker
A 51/29/20 blend that spent 18 months in a mix of 70% French/30% American oak; all the components have come together very well, the fruit vibrant and luscious but in no way jammy. Will cellar well.
-93 pts by James Halliday
Lifted by a whiff of violets, this shorter-term red has a spicy, meaty and meaty bouquet of blackberries, dark plums and raspberries with undertones of dried herbs and underbrush. It’s forward and slightly baked, with a moderate length of dark berries and currants underpinned by firm, drying tannins but finishs a little flat, with meaty, dehydrated notes of raisins, prunes and dark olive.
-86 pts by Jeremy Oliver