PETER LEHMANN BAROSSA SHIRAZ - 2003

Peter Lehmann built his Australian winery in 1979. Over the last 20+ years he has built up a reputation for quality wine. The winery was built to process fruit from local growers but over time his operation changed from bulk wine to premium wine. Only 2% of the grapes used to make his wines are from his own vineyards.

TASTING NOTES:

This wine is as black as the night. It is so concentrated that you can't even see the bottom of the glass. I tasted it immediatly upon opening and there is a ton of alcohol and heat overwhelming the fruit. A few hours later it settled down revealing rich plum on the mid-palate, hints of cocoa and lots of cherry candy on the finish. Yet there was still considerable heat. On the 2nd day, the heat had almost completely disappeared. The nose also was much more intense revealing creamy vanilla. The cherry finish had faded some but the wine still had wonderful saturated plum flavors.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
I was ready to score this wine much lower when I first tasted it. The heat and 14.5% alcohol were hindering this wine. On the 2nd day, the Barossa came alive and revealed all it had to offer. This is a wine that needs some cellaring. If you want to enjoy it now, give it a minimum of 5 hrs to breathe. Retails for around $14 a bottle.