2015 Paracombe Somerville Shiraz

Rich and full bodied with a sturdy structure and long finish.

Pitch black heart with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Pronounced aniseed and liquorice aromas mix with dark plum, black cherry, vanillin cedar, earth, subtle leather and pepper notes. The rich, full bodied palate is engulfed with liquorice, ripe black cherry and dark plum fruits. Spicy vanillin cedar, scorched earth, leather and pepper elements lie underneath. A ripe, sturdy tannin structure imparts a firmish feel across the long opulent finish which shows some heat.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 15%

Other Reviews….
The name of this wine is a tribute to James Somerville, an early Paracombe pioneer who first planted vines in the region in 1903. The family is now the custodian of those vines. The wine spent three years maturing in new French oak. 312 cases made. Fabulous to see a wine with ten years already under its belt before release. Those who don’t have their own cellaring facilities or who want to explore just what an older wine can offer, should definitely be chasing this gem. The colour is a dark maroon with a magenta rim. The nose exhibits notes of chocolate, licorice, mocha, coffee grinds and dried herbs. There is good oak integration throughout and the palate sees the flavours move more to the dark plums and blackberries spectrum. Complexity is most definitely evident and there is good intensity through to the juicy finish. A wine of direction with sleek tannins and impressive length, this has at least another decade ahead of it. Drink 2025-2035.
95 Points
Ken Gargett – WinePilot.com

The vines are over 100 years old and were transplanted in '97 to the Paracombe Vineyard site from the historical Somerville Vineyard. The wine is released mature. This is a bombastic, ultra-lush and rich red, with decadent tones of ripe plum, dark chocolate, espresso, ageing leather, toasted hazelnuts, mint and mixed dried peel and raisin. There's a touch of port-like character, but it fits the bill for the alcohol level and maturity on hand. It's concentrated and squishy in texture, a touch of bitter, smoky wood peeking through, some lemony tones to acidity, but overall, a wine that feels composed and relatively graceful, and, geez, the potency of the fruit and spice, secondary characters and oak, and carriage and mesh of that, are impressive. Drink by 2029.
94 Points
Mike Bennie – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion