Review: Winter Creek Barossa Shiraz 2002

92+ points

This is a new wave Barossa shiraz (of the 3 styles of Barossa shiraz) and very flash. Dark shiny red with purple flashes. Nice acid balance, great concentrated spicy fruit flavour, and restrained French oak. This is a tight concentrated shiraz but lurking within this structure there is deep Barossa richness. It has some lovely traces of liqorice as do many of the best 2002 Barossa shiraz.

92 points and maybe a higher score if it gains further complexity with age. Great wine for about A$25.

It is genuinely enjoyable to drink now but should really hit its potential from 2008.

This concentrated tight modern style reminds me of McWilliams Maurice O'Shea Shiraz from 2000 - not your typlical Hunter shiraz ! The fruit intensity and weight of the Winter Creek makes it more enjoyable though both are top class wines.

My main criticism of the Winter Creek is that they haven't used a screwcap (Stelvin) enclosure, it's a pity that such a pure clean wine has to be aged with an bit of tree bark (cork).

I'm told this is a single vineyard wine that is made at a contract winery and then sold almost entirely to the USA; keeps life simple I suppose. The back label features US surgeon general warnings and the name of their agent. Melbourne Street Cellars in Adelaide might be the only retailer that stocks the wine in Australia (I've just bought the last bottles they have - maybe they will get more in).