Redesdale Shiraz

Redesdale Estate is an attractively located winery on the outskirts of the Heathcote district. When I drank the just released 2003 Redesdale Shiraz on its terrace, it was a pretty wine. It had a healthy core of strong blueberry and black cherry fruit and good length and a lively finish.

Now, the good thing about boutique wineries is that they care about their fruit, but the bad thing is they often lack experience to deal with difficult circumstances. 2003 was a drought year and the fruit was picked too late. This Shiraz was lively enough in year one, but as I revisited the wine today, its fruit was absolutely dead - gone. It tasted of shriveled berries and the finish was broad and somewhat harsh. Not good if a red wine does not last six years. Other vintages might be better, but I am not going to rush trying again.

Score: 84/--