Slightly more complex, powerful and grainy than the Moonambel, but the swings and roundabouts mean there is less hedonistically luscious fruit. It's all a question of personal taste, I suppose. Cork. 14.2% alc. Rating 96 points; Drink 2025 Date Tasted Jan 07 James Halliday Wine Companion
 
I tasted this a year ago and wrote this: “Plush, silky, mouthfilling shiraz. Bursts from the glass. Smooth plum and cedar and vanilla, with fine, light, soft tannins curling away through the finish. A wine of seduction, for sure - but also a wine of overwhelming peppermint aroma and flavour. If you like peppermint, get ready for a wine that you will adore - the texture is glorious.” I rated it at 91 points. On re-tasting this now those peppermint flavour are still well and truly there, but it’s become a meatier, spicier, tighter wine, with minerally tannins and perhaps even the odd gamey edge. It has become a more interesting wine in both aroma and taste, and for me a better wine. Drink: 2007-2014. 94 points. Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front

This wine is a 100% varietal Shiraz from the Dalwhinnie Vineyard in the Moonambel region of Western Victoria. The Shiraz clone originated from the Best’s 1860’s vineyard cultivated by the Thompson family of Great Western, Victoria. The Southwest Rocks vineyard was named after the geographic location on the property where explosives were used to shatter the reef enabling planting and trellising.

The grapes were crushed and destemmed into a small 5 tonne open fermenter for a 10 day fermentation, followed by basket pressing then 18 months French oak maturation, of which 50% is new oak. Very dark red - black. A beautiful perfume displaying fresh ripe red berries with lifted five spice notes. Very fresh, just amazing. The mouth is coated with intense raspberry fruit, clean sherbet like acidity followed by very fine powdery tannins. The length of finish is impressive showing great elegance and finesse.

Like the 2004 Southwest Rocks the 2005 is a great follow-on. Complex, elegant and rustic. Syrah in style but New World passion and integrity come through in this superb single vineyard wine. A passion of mine is to make three classic single vineyard Shiraz wines expressing site, aspect and individual Shiraz clones using Rhone vinification techniques. Cellaring Potential: 6 - 8 years. David Jones, owner and winemaker