90 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - Berry element gaining richness with air and taking a turn to cherry.

Tasting Notes

A big, ripe fruit spicy McLaren Vale Shiraz. Ripe, dark cherry on nose, with a hint of chocolate and mocha. Palate full, rich, with just a hint of oak. Lovely soft ripe tannin complements the fruit driven finish. A soft, but weighty traditional McLaren Vale Shiraz.

8/5/08
The Little Ox is named after wine maker, owner Andrew Hardy, of Hardy family fame. Around 650 cases were made, so based on the previous review of the 2005 and the quality of this, the current 2006 release, it’s quite simple, get it while you can. Dense and richly fruited, but light on its feet in relationship to its concentration, this is endowed with finer grained almost powdery tannins and is loaded up with a combination of both red and blue fruit on its medium fuller, fuller frame. Juicy, but dry, with some chewy density on the finish, this is still quite primary and evolving, but everything is in place for big reviews again. Hopefully there will be some around when the tallies come forth. The smart money will place their bets now.

Food Accompaniments

Game pie, red meats, big T-bone steak.

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

90 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Ruby-red. Spicy red berry aromas are brightened by subtle white pepper and floral qualities. Juicy and fresh on the palate, with red berry element gaining richness with air and taking a turn to cherry. The spiciness builds through the long, energetic finish of this well-balanced shiraz.

Winemaker Notes

The fruit is de-stemmed and crushed into open fermenters and inoculated with Bordeaux Red yeast. The ferment starts after 2-3 days cold soak, and the cap is hand plunged 2-4 times per day. When the ferment has finished, the wine is drained off, the skins pressed and then put straight to barrel. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The 2005 was matured in French oak barriques for 18 months before racking out of barrel and bottled. The vines that grow this fruit were planted in 1999, grown from cuttings taken from the original vines planted in 1891. Pat’s Paddock and Bobs Block are the two small vineyards that were replanted. This vineyard has been in our family since 1877, when my great-great grandfather Thomas Hardy purchased it from the legendary Dr. A C Kelly. Still lovingly tendered by my father, Robert G Hardy.

Chemical Analysis

6 Bottle price

Price

SKU

Varietal

Alcohol %: 13.3
Total Acid:7.4 gl
Free/Total Sulfur: 27/94
pH: 3.40
Residual Sugar: 0.3

$17.99

$19.99

7782

Shiraz