Here are some of the reviews from this year's International Wine Cellar Kilikanoon story.

2007 Shiraz Attunga 1865 Clare Valley ($235) Inky purple. Deep black and blue fruit preserve aromas are complicated by white pepper, patchouli, cocoa powder and licorice. Lush and creamy on the palate, offering sweet boysenberry and singed plum flavors and a touch of bitter licorice. Becomes higher-pitched with aeration and takes on a sexy floral quality that lingers on the long, supple finish. This rich, velvety, lively wine spent 24 months in new French oak barrels. 94

2007 Shiraz Green's Vineyard Reserve Barossa Valley ($105) Glass-staining purple. Exotic, strongly perfumed scents and flavors of raspberry, cherry compote, vanilla bean, sassafras and incense. Becomes smokier with air, picking up a sexy floral quality that repeats on the palate. Juicy, sweet and strikingly pure shiraz with lovely finishing clarity and resonating spiciness. This went through all sorts of changes in the glass, becoming more exotic while retaining focus. I wouldn't begrudge anyone drinking this now but I'd bet it will be even better in three or four years, and for a while after that. 93

2009 Riesling Mort's Block Reserve Watervale Clare Valley ($32) Vivid straw with a hint of green. Energetic, pure scents of fresh citrus, honeysuckle, chalk and spices. Impressively filigree in texture, with lively lime and pink grapefruit flavors and a strong undercurrent of chalky minerality. Closes on a tangy lime note, with resonating stoniness and lift. I'd love to check in on this wine in another four or five years. 92

2007 Shiraz Oracle Clare Valley ($70) Inky ruby. Sexy, high-pitched aromas of blackberry, cherry-cola, graphite, mint and cured tobacco. Suave, sweet red and dark berry and candied violet flavors stain the palate, with silky tannins providing shape. With air, the minty quality gains strength and carries through the sweet, sappy finish. This energetic wine suavely combines depth and vivacity. 92

2007 Shiraz Parable Mclaren Vale ($40) Deep ruby with a bright rim. Vibrant, intensely perfumed bouquet of red and dark berries, spicecake, licorice and musky herbs. Nervy and precise on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and blueberry flavors and slow-building tannins. Showing a lot of youthful vigor today but there are no rough edges to get in the way of enjoying this wine over the short term. 91

2007 Shiraz Testament Barossa Valley ($40) Opaque ruby. Smoky, penetrating aromas of raspberry, cherry, licorice and black pepper. Spicy and tightly wound on entry, then gains flesh and sweetness in the mid-palate, offering juicy red fruit flavors and a late note of black cardamom. Finishes with very good grip and a lingering note of smoky minerals. This improved with air, which suggests that it will repay patience. 91(+?)


2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Blocks Road Clare Valley ($30) Vivid ruby. High-pitched red berries and spices on the nose, with notes of pungent herbs and black tea adding complexity. Taut and focused on entry, gaining breadth in the mid-palate and offering sweet raspberry and cherry-vanilla flavors. The spicy note resonates on the long, energetic, impressively pure finish. This will age on its balance. 91


2009 Riesling Mort's Block Reserve Watervale Clare Valley ($20) Pale, green-tinged yellow. Lively aromas of lemon zest, mint and chalk are complemented by white pepper and quinine. Dusty, sharply focused citrus and herb flavors gain sweetness in the mid-palate, showing deeper tangerine and pear nuances. The brisk finish features a strong echo of spicy herbs. I find this extremely easy to drink. 90


2007 Grenache Prodigal Clare Valley ($30) Bright red. Very pretty, floral aromas of raspberry, rose, white pepper and spicy oak. Supple, velvety and focused, with an alluring sweetness to its deep red fruit flavors. Really spreads out to saturate the palate on the back half. Finishes subtle and long, with echoes of spice and candied flowers. 90

2008 Shiraz Killerman's Run South Australia ($20) Inky purple. Sexy aromas of blueberry and boysenberry, with a touch of cracked pepper adding vibrancy. Lush and creamy in texture, with lively, open-knit dark fruit flavors that are approachable right now. Finishes with good snap and sweet persistence. 89

2007 Shiraz The Lackey South Australia ($15) Deep ruby. Attractive aromas of dark berry preserves and cocoa powder, with a subtle note of white pepper adding vivacity. Juicy and straightforward on the palate, offering sweet dark berry flavors and no rough edges. This easy-to-drink wine finishes with good breadth and lingering sweetness. This year's bottling, which is made almost entirely from Clare Valley fruit, is suppler and fruitier than the comparatively dry 2008 version. 88

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Killerman's Run South Australia ($20) Inky ruby. Dark berry and cherry aromas are complicated by notes of cocoa powder and cola. A hint of cracked pepper adds spiciness to the sweet, seamless blackberry and blueberry flavors. This easy-to-drink, sweet cabernet offers good finishing spiciness and clarity. 89


2007 Shiraz Covenant Clare Valley ($40) Inky ruby. Fresh, very pure aromas of blackberry, blueberry, lavender and white pepper. Lush and sweet initially, but closes down quickly, offering just a glimpse of sweet black fruit and floral flavors and zesty spices. This is a tough read right now. Finishes long, with a note of blackberry and fine-grained tannins. I'd come back to this in another year or so. 89(+?)

and the whole doc

steven tanzer josh raynolds 2010