2004 Mr Riggs Shiraz Magnum (1500ml)

Re-tasted on 09/10/2015
Outstanding depth of colour displaying an inky black core with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Showing good intensity ripe blackberry, liquorice and dark plum aromas emerge from the glass with underlying vanillin cedar, leather and spice notes. Rich, voluptuously textured and velvety the palate features mouthfilling flavours of ripe blackberry, liquorice and dark plum all caressing the palate. There’s still plenty of fruit here with the tertiary characters just starting to move in. Soft supple mouthfeel with underlying nuances of vanillin cedar, earthy leather and spice. Velvet smooth tannins. Superb depth with a very long silky aftertaste of blackberry, liquorice, dark plum, earthy leather and spicy vanillin oak.
Alc. 15%

Tasted on 24/11/2005
Ben Riggs is a big bloke who is very much at home on a footy field or a basketball court, giving as good as he gets, so one almost intuitively expects that the Mr. Riggs will be as big in stature as the man himself, however, this is not the case. Mr. Riggs Shiraz is about refinement, elegance and force.
The wine is a total saturate of black purple with black purple hue. The nose is more refined and perfumed than the Penny’s Hill – violet top notes, followed by cedar, spice and blackberry – a wonderful sniffing experience. The palate has elegance and force with explosive flavour power waves. Mouthfilling, with flavour of spice, blackberry, violet infusions, vanilla and white pepper. A wine of exceptional length and depth. Perfect tannin structure, with very long spice, blackberry, vanilla aftertaste. Very Limited stocks.
Alc/Vol: 15%
99 Points

Other reviews....
The blockbuster 2004 Shiraz was aged 18 months in French oak (40% new). It is a wine of great intensity, with an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of camphor, graphite, blackberries, tar, and charcoal. Rich, super-pure fruit cascades over the palate of this opaque purple-colored, full-bodied, voluptuously-textured Shiraz. Consume it over the next 6-7 years.
95 Points
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate # 161 (Oct 2005)

Clean, rich fruit aromas; lush red and black fruits with a juicy twist giving lively mouthfeel and a delicious finish; amazingly light on its 15° alcohol feet. Tasted 2005.
96 points
James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion