Vinous (94)

Inky purple. An exotic bouquet presents black and blue fruit preserves, vanilla, licorice and potpourri. Sweet, deeply pitched blueberry and cherry-vanilla flavors stain the palate and gain spiciness with aeration. Shows superb energy and power on the finish, with lingering touches of smoke, cracked pepper and floral pastille. This sweet, seamless wine should be left to rest for at least another five to seven years and probably much longer.

Halliday Wine Companion (95)

A mesh of premium vineyard fruit and an 18 month passage across quality French oak, this is a salubrious, full-bodied and glossy wine. A deep crimson verging on opaque. A firm bulwark of coffee grind-mocha tannins prolongs scents of violet, blue to black berry persuasions and crushed rock, long and far across the palate. The tannins define, etch and shape this, keeping it from an OTT persuasion. Just. Very good, if hedonism is your cup of tea.

Experience the essence of Australian terroir with the Levrier Anubis Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. This distinguished wine, hailing from distinguished Barossa Valley, is skillfully crafted by renowned vintner Jo Irvine, granting it a fine pedigree that is reflective in each bottle's merit. Adorned with the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) silver medal, this Cabernet Sauvignon stands assertive, showcasing finely matured tannins that deliver depth and richness.

The Levrier Anubis Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is crafted from select hand-picked grapes. After fermentation in open vats, it spends formidable 20 months in French oak barriques before being expertly bottled. It exhibits a complex bouquet of blackcurrant, red chilli and olives complemented by a warm palate of dark chocolate, bringing forth an unparalleled tasting experience. A quintessential scene-stealer, the Levrier Anubis Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is a testament to the potential and prowess of Australian wines.

A connoisseur's delight, the Love Over Gold Menglers Hill Love Over Gold Shiraz 2014 is the epitome of opulence. This handcrafted, single-vineyard wine hails from the prestigious Menglers Hill, situated within the acclaimed South Australian wine region, Barossa Valley. It is the creation of the renaissance winemaker, Warrick Duthy, the impassioned force behind the boutique wine label, Love Over Gold.

The 2014 vintage encapsulates the vineyard's story with its exceptional purity and intensity. The grapes endured a growing season of dry, warm days and cool evenings, producing a wine enrobed in powerful dark fruit flavours, tempered with refined acidity and structured tannins. Nineteen months in French oak barrels imbued the Shiraz with complex layers of chocolate, vanilla, and spice, making each sip a revelation. The Love Over Gold Menglers Hill Love Over Gold Shiraz 2014 is undeniably an unforgettable imprint of time and place, a testament to the art of winemaking.

Vinous (90)

Inky ruby. Vibrant cherry and cassis aromas are complemented by a spicy overtone. Juicy and precise in the mouth, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors and a sweetening touch of vanilla. The spicy note comes back on the nicely persistent finish, which is framed by supple, even tannins.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2006 Shiraz “Reiver” is sourced from a single vineyard in the Greenock region of the Barossa Valley. The average age of the vines is 60 years. Opaque purple in color, it has a enthralling perfume of saddle leather, truffle, violets, pepper, blueberry, toast, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied wine which manages to retain elegance. Opulent, ripe, and layered with spicy blue and black fruits, the wine has enough underlying structure for extended cellaring. Nicely integrated and long in the finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 12-15 years.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The 2006 Shiraz “Savitar” was aged in 100% new oak, predominantly French. Purple-colored, the aromatics are a bit reticent initially, but soon scents of toasty oak, tar, licorice, scorched earth, and blueberry emerge. This leads to a wine which is more structured and less opulent than its peers. It will evolve for a minimum of 8-10 years and drink well through 2040. As a point of reference, the 2002 Savitar (rated 95) was presented. It is considerably more developed aromatically but still has a significant distance to travel prior to reaching its peak.

Wine Advocate (95)

More high-toned and red-fruited, the cherry-scented 2018 Savitar Shiraz also hints at vanilla, cedar and dried spices (from the oak), plus some slightly darker berry notes. It's full-bodied but tighter and more age-worthy than the GAM or Angela, with a taut, lingering finish.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Extremely bumptious, big and round. Extremely concentrated fruit with a hint of dustiness and still, in early 2005, a little bit brutal.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

Sourced from the proprietary Lopresti vineyard, known as the 'Chinese Block'. Near Wilunga, this is a warmer zone. Hand picked and placed in drying crates to undergo appassimento; this elevates tannins while concentrating fruit in a shift of the phenolic makeup, imparting a firm, ferrous savouriness. Unabashedly big, yet far from jammy, as a welcome result. Asian spice, blood stone, bitter amaro and cherry pith, with a verdant echo of cabernet in the background.

Wine Spectator (92)

Compelling and aromatic, with details of palo santo, sandalwood and sarsaparilla and a core of chocolate-covered cherries, espresso and wild blackberry notes. The tannins are thick and concentrated, but integrated seamlessly, adding to the impact of this lovely wine. Drink now through 2036. 6,132 cases made, 3,892 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (94)

Mollydooker's 2018 Carnival of Love Shiraz is more red-fruited and structured than I expected, given the wine's stated 16% alcohol. Raspberries and cedar mark the nose, with hints of chocolate, espresso and baking spices. In the mouth, it's full-bodied, dense and powerful, with ripe but firm tannins supporting the bright berry flavors, then easing into a long, velvety and mouthwatering finish. It should drink well for around a decade, but if you're shy of tannins, you may want to wait another year or two before opening.

Everything you'd expect from a Merlot presented by Mollydooker. Big, voluptuous and uncompromising, yes; but it does maintain varietal correctness. Showing Deep red and black fruit mingled with some cocoa powder and spicy clove elements. Delicious.

Wine Advocate (91)

Mollydooker's 2018 The Boxer Shiraz delivers what fans of this producer have come to expect: huge fruit, plenty of ripeness, tasty oak and oodles of flavor. Cedar, chocolate and mint accent cola, plum and berry fruit on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is round, supple and expansive. It's creamy-ripe, yet the wine ends silky and mouthwatering.

Wine Spectator (92)

Thick, with sink-your-teeth-into-them tannins and powerful, ripe blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry flavors that show aromatic accents of allspice, Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and dried violet on the finish. Drink now through 2036. 45,165 cases made, 32,950 cases imported

Wine Advocate (95)

The only one of the Mollydooker wines that even hints at needing some bottle age is the 2016 Velvet Glove Shiraz. Hints of hay or alfalfa mark the nose, along with huge raspberry and blueberry fruit. It's full-bodied, rich and tannic on the palate, picking up hints of chocolate and raisin on the long finish. I wouldn't suggest cellaring it too long, in case the dried-fruit notes come too much to the fore.

Wine Advocate (96)

The most dense and concentrated of the current Mollydooker offerings is the 2018 Velvet Glove Shiraz. Because of that, it's also among the most fruit-forward, with the oak elements of vanilla, mocha and cedar pushed into the background in favor of ripe raspberries and blackberries. Taut and focused for its size, this full-bodied effort is smooth and creamy textured on the palate, where the fruit glides into a long, velvety finish.

Wine Spectator (90)

Fresh and inviting, with a meaty character to the red berry and spice flavors, finishing with a pleasant fleshiness. Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2018.

Wine Spectator (91)

Expressive and fragrant, a bold red with toffee, salted caramel and black walnut liqueur notes set against ripe plum, maraschino and black cherry notes. Details of cardamon and clove linger with plush tannins on the long, expressive finish. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035. 10,076 cases made, 7,193 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2016 Eclipse is 87% Grenache, 8% Graciano and 5% Shiraz, all off the McLaren Vale estate vineyard. As it almost seems to, it boasts gorgeous aromas of raspberries, accented by a range of herbs and spices that include notes of orange zest, bay leaf and rose petals. It's full-bodied, with assertive but silky tannins that should help preserve the wine's freshness as it ages. Although full-bodied, it handles its alcohol well, showing just a trace of warmth on the lingering finish.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2005 Shiraz Reserve was sourced from a 45-year-old vineyard and aged for 18 months in American and French oak of various sizes. A saturated purple color, it presents an array of otherworldly scents including smoke, mineral, meat, game, bacon, and blueberry. Thick, rich, and voluptuous, this mouth-filling, full-bodied Shiraz is about as hedonistic as it gets. Although the wine is seamless, there is some tannin lurking under all the fruit which will permit 8-10 years of cellaring for those able to delay gratification. The finish is amazingly long and pure, seeming to never end. As usual, the Noon wines are benchmarks against which all others must be compared.

Wine Advocate (97)

Even more concentrated than the impressive 2014, the 2015 Shiraz Reserve is almost painfully intense—in a good sense. Dark berries, culinary herbs and roasted meat notes combine in a mouthwatering nose, which leads into a dense, creamy-textured palate. While most Noon wines can be drunk on release (as can this one, albeit in a soft-core S&M sort of way), I would suggest holding this one for a couple of years and drinking it over the next decade.