Spinifex Esprit

The Esprit, fashioned like a Chateauneuf red wine, put Spinifex firmly on the map. I still had one bottle from 2005 left and was interested to see how the main feature of the wine, its freshness and vibrancy, was holding up.

The 2005 Spinifex Esprit is a blend of five grape varieties common in the Southern Rhone valley, with Grenache being the dominant grape. Pouring the wine, it is obvious the colour has started to mellow. However, on the palate, the wine is still fresh. Peter Schell uses grapes which are picked early. And after 10 years, fruit flavours still dominate, raspberry, plum and blackberry. The character is lifted and dry, not heavy. Secondary characteristics are not very noticeable. The wine is beautifully balanced between different grapes, oak, tannins and acidity. It is great drinking now, with depth of complex flavours and no heaviness on the palate.

Score: 94/+++