In response to my write-up of the 2007 Shiraz, Colin Sheppard of Flaxman Wines very kindly sent me a bottle each of the 2005 and 2006 versions so I could compare the site and its wine across vintages. After having tasted all three, and quite apart from notions of quality, one thing I can confirm is this wine's transparency.
This one, from 2005, is my firm favourite. The nose is slightly muted but terribly rewarding once you find your way in; there are aromas of fresh, damp earth, plum skins, crushed granite and ripened twigs. In short, it's complex, dark, etched and very adult, but with a core of plum fruit that issues a seductive call to taste. There are oak flavours in there too, in a gently nutty, nougat mode, very much secondary and well-integrated. I'm not getting a lot of age on the nose, though admittedly I never tasted this on release.
The palate is quite full in presence and volume, though this strikes me above all else as an elegant wine, despite its dimensions (and 15% abv). This is mostly due to a flavour profile that is precise and delicate, with a firm streak of minerality that cuts through juicy plums and tart skins. The whole is linear and direct in terms of how it moves through the mouth, with steadily increasing complexity and less fruit influence through the back palate and finish.
If you have some of this in your cellar, consider yourself lucky.
Good to see some of the Barossa/Eden wines are still arriving on your doorstep, Julian. Enjoy:) You seem to be getting some of the real gems from our region:)
Indeed and, believe me, I'm not complaining! It's wonderful. I haven't yet tried your 05 Eden...
That's ok, re the 05 Eden. The longer you leave it, the better:) I am never in a rush to release our reds, or get them reviewed. Our 07 Shiraz/Cab hasn't even been released yet!