Meerea Park Alexander Munro

When Rhys Eather appeared on the scene in the 1990s, he blew a fresh wind of quality ambition through the Hunter. It is interesting to see how his flagship wine, the Alexander Munro Shiraz shapes up after a number of years.

The 2003 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz is full bodied, with attractive raspberry and mulberry flavours, as well as quite developed earthy secondary characteristics. This wine was not made in the traditional Hunter style, but its fruit is bigger, riper and closer to the South Australian style. I find this a pity. The velvety tannins are there in the background, but overshadowed by stronger more assertive tannins. Why make a wine which is atypical to the area?

Best time to drink is now plus two years, maybe.

Score: 90/0