Shiraz at Coriole - 2004s Released

THURSDAY, JUNE 01, 2006

2004 Shiraz and 2004 Lloyd Reserve have now been made available.

The question most asked at Cellar Door and by our Trade customers is about ageing. Will the present releases last as long as our older wines? We certainly think so. Recently tasted older vintages have been very encouraging. Certainly the last 1970 I sampled was in wonderful condition, as was a 1980 presented by my host at lunch a few weeks ago. A recent email from customer Chris Muir spoke of a Coriole 1975 Shiraz he found �under the floor boards�.

�What a delightful surprise it was; certainly showing age with dense brick red colour, complex inky nose and hints of primary fruit on the palate, lovely acid with a light tannin grip. Altogether a pleasant and persistent flavour.� One of the interesting aspects of this 1975 vintage was that the crops were larger than normal and the wines were built on good acidity rather than dense extract.

So what of 2004? Our feeling is that these wines will cellar long and well, but the cellar itself will have a bearing. A cellar kept at 14-16C would be ideal for long term ageing. Our tips for recent Coriole Shiraz vintages that will reliably age are '04, '01, '98, '95. Wines from the early nineties are great drinking now, particularly the wonderful �twin� vintages of '90 and '91, plus '02 and '03 are great allrounders.

Back to: Latest News Index