2007 Thorn-Clarke "Shotfire" Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia

92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Shotfire Shiraz was aged for 12-18 months in a mix of new and used French and American oak, 40% new. A saturated purple/black in color, this glass-coating effort has a nose of wood smoke, bacon, mineral, and blueberry that leaps from the glass. Rich and intense on the palate, it has layers of flavor, excellent balance, and a pure finish. It way over-delivers for its humble price. Drink it over the next six years." (02/09) 90 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe, focused and silky, with a mild bite of tannins to support the cedary black cherry and spice flavors, lingering effectively on the expressive finish." (09/09) From the winery: "The 2007 offers a lifted nose of clean blackberry fruit accompanied by cedar wood characters, the oak elements are complex and layered with mocha and spices. The palate shows sweet fruit characters dominated by blackberry and plum, complimented by sweet Indian spices, in particular turmeric and cinnamon. The sweet fruit characters are balanced by rich savory elements. The mid-weight palate is rich and mouth filling; finishing with fine-grained tannins and great length of the savory fruit and oak."