Print this Wine         1997 Mount Horrocks Shiraz   WATERVALE, CLARE VALLEY                 January Release   Shiraz       The vintage of 1997 has been quite a success all around Australia. The story is no different in the Clare Valley. This is an outstanding wine. Stephanie Toole, owner and winemaker at Mount Horrocks, is delighted with this wine and justifiably so, as it the finest example of this variety she has produced. The color is inky black with a purple tinge on the rim. Immediately when assessing the aroma there is a lot more to this wine than simple fruit flavors. There are tobacco, mint, chocolate characters alongside with the plum and dark cherry fruit flavors. There is also some earthy, mineral notes which are quite distinctive and very much due to the terroir of Stephanie's vineyard. The complexity is very much evident on the palate. The wine is very young and quite backward at this stage. It certainly has all of the intensity and variety of flavor to develop into a great wine but at this stage the components seem to stand separately. Along with the characters evident on the nose the toasty vanilla from judiciously used oak is much more noticeable on the palate. In addition to the flavor components this is a wine with ample structure. The finish is very long with a combination of high acid and firm, gripping tannins. Give this wine some time. It will develop superbly if left for at least 5 years. Indeed it will age well for a period considerably longer than that. If you just have to try the wine now, you certainly will enjoy it and the experience will be enhanced if the accompanying food is carefully selected. Rich game meats such as venison or wild boar would suit this wine as long as they are not overcooked and served with a fruit enriched sauce. That little bit extra moisture and sweetness will soften the tannin and the acid will be compatible with the fruit flavor.

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