James Halliday Winery Rating   4 ½ Stars

Marius 2005 Symphony Reviews

Philip White (Independent Weekly)    June 30^th 2007

Marius Symphony McLaren Vale Shiraz:

Bits of the windy Front Hills, from Willunga to Sellick’s, produce more intense complexity than the lower Vales.  Winemaker Mark Day selects the best slice of Roger Pike’s four-acre Willunga patch for this awesome flavour bomb; the balance goes into the cheaper Simpatico.  It’s a veritable compression of sootblack moody shiraz, made the old way, but with 21 months in very fine French oak.  The result is a velvety gastronomic delight that silences drinkers with its depth and might.  93++ points

Gary Walsh (Winorama)     June 25^th 2007

Marius Symphony Shiraz 2005:

Aromas of brandied plum, dark cherry, dark chocolate, coffee and leather. On the palate full bodied with intense flavours of blackberry, dark cherry, dark chocolate, coal and licorice. It is large framed, although not clumsy, with plenty of strong fine grained tannins, clean acidity and warming alcohol. Finishes savoury and long with dark chocolate and leather flavours. This looked better on the second day so give the wine a decant if serving now or just keep your mitts off it for a few years.   Rated : 93+ Points     Drink : 2010 - 2018

Ric Einstein (Torb)     June 07

Marius 2005 Symphony Shiraz:

Sealed under screwcap, the wine is $35 direct from the winery and  is expected to be released sometime in July. A single vineyard wine, it has been made from small parcels of selected fruit. Many wines that are sealed under screwcap are very restrained upon opening, this one was an exception. It was expressive, the fruit was jumping out of the glass from the get go. It's very attractive with fresh violets, plum, mocha, hints of coffee, vanilla and a touch of lifted alcohol. A definite step up in quality over the Simpatico, the wine has an excellent structure, and is backed by tight, dusty tannins, fresh acid and deep, rich, pure fruit. It's a muscular, firm, and almost refined wine that is not only tight, it's still in nappies. Blackberry, dark coffee, blackcurrant, star anise, and a hint of oregano flavours produce a completely off-sweet flavour profile that finishes long, dry and persistent. This little beauty is rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value now, but the rating should improve as it reaches its peak in around 2014. Roger Pike has hit a home run with this wine, I love it.

Campbell Mattinson - Winefront July 07

Marius McLaren Vale Single Vineyard 'Symphony' Shiraz 2005 ($35):

Strident, sassy, slippery shiraz, chocka-block with warm, chocolaty fruit and oak flavour.  This is seamless and smooth. This is for those wine lovers who like 'em styled big, coffeed, big-chested - and yet laced perfectly together.  This is a peak example of the style.  Drink 2007-2012.  92 points.

The 2005 Symphony has been included in Campbell Mattinson's Top 101 Reds for 2007.  "This list is personal.  It's the TOP 101 RED WINES that I'd take to the table to prove exactly how great wine can be, for quality or value or just straight-out excitement."

The 2009 Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide - Nick Stock

This is the upper deck of the Marius shiraz range and offers plenty of value - a real gem.  Ripe dark berry fruits, plums and liquorice; charming juicy smooth tannins from start to finish - a wine with style and grace, eminently balanced and beautifully delivered.  93 points

James Halliday - 2009 Australian Wine Companion:

Symphony Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005

More density, ripeness and richness than the Simpatico; power rather than seduction; will take much longer to reach its peak.    Rating 91 points    Drink to: 2017

Small Vigneron Awards - 2007

The 2005 Symphony has  been awarded a Silver Medal and a "Highly Recommended" rating in the prestigious Small Vigneron Awards.  The judging panel for the Small Vigneron Awards includes James Halliday, Tim Kirk, Ian McKenzie, Stephen Pannell, Liz Jackson, Louisa Rose and Nick Stock. 

Winestate Magazine - July 2008

Intense cedary/nutmeg aromas overlaid with red berry fruits.  Very fruity palate that's soft, long and balanced and showing good complexity.  ««««

Adelaide Review/Nick Stock/John Duval - "Hot 100"

"These wines are simply the best of the best, South Australia's greatest and wines to be truly proud of."

Marius Symphony Shiraz 2005

Roger Pike's onto something down in McLaren Vale: here's his best parcel of Shiraz singled out as a reserve wine.  Dark spices, sweet ground cinnamon, dusted through ripe, dark berry fruits and liquorice, the oak is carefully fitted.

Grant Dodd - The Wining Pro         Marius Symphony Shiraz 2005

If you are in the mood for McLaren Vale Shiraz, then you really can't go wrong with this. It just brings a smile to your face. Big, fun, silky smooth, with lashings of concentrated black conserve fruit flavours, it is one of the most more-ish wines I've tried this year. Seriously slick, and a seriously good wine.   94 points   Drink 2007 - 2013

Tony Love – Adelaide Advertiser – 30/01/08  MARIUS 2005 SYMPHONY SHIRAZ  McLaren Vale

Single vineyard, small volume, traditional production methods by a tiny boutique maker - this ticks all the big red boxes that offer generous flavours in the chocolate-coated prune department, super rich and spicy in the mouth, full-bodied and power-packed from start to finish.