  Wines    McLaren Vale

James Halliday Winery Rating 4 ½ Stars

2000 Marius Shiraz Reviews

The May/June 2003 issue of Winestate Magazine has awarded ««««½ to the 2000 Marius Shiraz:

Marius McLaren Vale Shiraz

Year - 2000

Price - $23.00

Rating - ¬¬¬¬1/2

Intensely rich Christmas cake fruit aromas and some great oak. More minty-like characters to the palate but there is an overall shiraz spiciness about it. Excellent depth and structure with a warming finish. Soft and luxurious.

Ric Einstein of www.torbwine.com , a fiercely independent and much respected authority on Aussie reds reviewed the 2000 Marius Shiraz in April 2003:

Marius 2000 Shiraz – April 2003

This is a single vineyard wine from a micro producer in Willunga (McLaren Vale.)

Spice/cloves plums and dark berry fruit dominate the aromas.

First impression, a lovely harmonious wine with loads of flavour, tannins are there but totally unobtrusive, the purity of the ample weight fruit is obvious and this is a wine where the fruit has been allowed to speak. The French Oak, which has been judged to perfection, provides a supporting creamy texture.

Blackberry and plum fruit are the major flavours but there are some spice – almost pepper, subtle chocolate and a hint of cloves as well. Flavours fill the mouth and the finish is adequate.

Rated as Recommended with **** for value at $275 a dozen (delivered free) it’s only available direct from the winery and is well worth buying.

Campbell Mattinson of Winefront Monthly reviewed the 2000 Marius Shiraz in the September 2002 issue:

"Ripe red and black berry fruits are interwoven with a savoury choc-caramel sweetness; there's a fair hit of liqueured-coffee on the finish and it's all syrupy and velvety, ripe and intense - though with some fruit-driven elegance. A single vineyard wine from a less-than-ideal vintage - it's very good. Drink: Now-2010. 91 points."

Click here to view the page containing the full review (pdf file with the kind permission of Campbell).

Winefront Monthly is a good read for the money; you can download back issues at www.winefrontmonthly.com.au

Graeme Andrews of www.food-fun-wine.com.au said:

"It's a wine that needs to breathe, so pull the cork at least two hours before and allow time to release the inviting ripe blackberry and plum flavours that lay buried within. The wine has excellent structure and balance supported by firm tannins that will soften with a year or two in the cellar. Perfect companion with a grilled aged T-Bone."