Print this Wine         1996 Elderton Command Shiraz   NURIOOTPA, BAROSSA VALLEY                 January Release   Shiraz       This has proved to be a very consistent label with each subsequent year fulfilling the promise of earlier vintages. Don’t look for surprises with this wine as its archetypical Barossa Valley Shiraz. It is big in all facets with big fruit, big oak and big on structure. These wines work only when there is a balance between these components. The balance is achieved with an understanding of the grape growing phase and careful treatment in the winery. Richard Sheedy and his team have honed their skills over the vintages and this release could well be the best yet. The appearance is that of a wine far more youthful than a 4-year-old red. It looks like it was bottled yesterday. Deep dark inky in hue with purple and deep red colors blending together. The color persists all the way to the rim. Immediately you can smell the fragrance of ripe fruit. There are plums, mulberries and blueberries. They are so ripe almost to the point of having a slightly stewed character. No sooner do you get the fruit flavors than the oak aromas take charge. Here there is sweet vanilla and coconut with a charred overlay. Plenty of new oak, plenty of new American oak, the trademark of virtually all of the Barossa’s greatest wines. Taste the wine and the stewed character of the fruit really comes to the fore. There is hidden perfume, not initially apparent on the bouquet, but with some air contact, virtue of a vigorous swirling of the wine in the glass the aroma takes on a new dimension. Now there are violets and roses. This all adds up to a very rich and intense wine. Texturally this wine is still very much a baby. It is still sharp and angular and only patience will change this. The finish is very firm with finely grained, high pixel tannins. Give it at least another 10 years possibly 15 before this wine will approach its optimum drinking period. At that point it should hold up well for many years. If you commit the unthinkable and open a bottle now try it with a neutral flavoured but creamy and runny cheese. The fat of the cheese will soften the drying effect of the tannin. Down the track when drinking a mature wine, simple roast beef will be just perfect. Do not look for complex foods, as this will only interfere with the nuances in this superb wine.         How do I download Hi-Res Labels?

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