2004 Groom Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Wonderful nose with coffee, cherries, oak. Cherries, chocolate, blackberries and tar on the palate. Long dry finish, with fruit, plum skins, and toasted coconut. Extraordinary. I would put this up against any $75 big name Australian Shiraz and have another bottle left to drink later. Maybe the key was 25% new oak, rather than the 100% new oak of the big blowsy fruit bombs floating over from the land down under these days.

WHO: Groom
WHAT: Shiraz
WHERE: Barossa Valley, Australia
WHEN: 2004
HOW MUCH: $38