Parker rated this wine 96-98+ points. In his tasting notes, he remarked:

This nearly perfect wine, made from 70% Shiraz (105- to 115-year-old vines) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (60- to 90-year-old vines), was cropped at a minuscule .5 to 1 ton of fruit per acre, and spent 15 months in French oak prior to bottling. Its gorgeously sweet, pure nose of crushed rocks, blueberries, cassis, and minerals soars from the glass. Floral-like black and blue fruits, an inky/purple color, and nearly endless depth and persistence on the palate are the stuff of legends. With extraordinary equilibrium, precision, and purity, it represents the apogee of Ben Glaetzer’s winemaking talents.

Part of me would admit that this is a decent bottle of wine, recognizing there are people who would enjoy it. But it doesn’t suit my tastes and actually quite regret that I didn’t buy 2-3 bottles of something else instead. I would say, that if you are still chasing Aussie Shiraz, you can certainly find something just as enjoyable in the $15-25 range. It shows some restraint by big Aussie standards, but also thought it was a bit hollow in the mid palate (nearly endless depth?).

If I were not being as cautious with my words and decided to be more honest and frank with my notes, the might read as follows:

Fortified and reduced blueberry and raspberry wine, a dollop of cough syrup and port with a few drops of iodine.  Add oak, well toasted bread with some sugar and a sprinkle of graphite.

Some would say that is overly critical, but I certainly don’t think it lived up to Parker’s billing and it certainly isn’t nearly perfect for my tastes. A week later, this bottle sits on my counter more than half full. Pass.