Search WineStar:

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz 2004
	When one adds these traditional vineyards to the talents of winemaker Kevin Glastonbury a very handy input by mother nature in 2004, the result is nothing short of brilliant. A deep red with bright hues, the nose is the first sign of something special here with my favourite Mint Slice (chocolate mint) coming to the fore. The unmistakable Cabernet Shiraz tango ensues in the mouth with flavours of cigar box and plummy fruit intertwined with spicy fruit and the merest hint of leather which get the senses working. The oak is played perfectly, the length is gracefully long. The wine an absolute pup yet more than enjoyable with a few house breathing. It has pedigree, it has character, it is eerily rustic and genuinely traditional but modern at the same time. Exceptional wine. Drink: Now - 2020; Quality: Exceptional BW; WineStar© April 2008   Two years in oak, two years in bottle - then it's released. Sounds like an excellent regime for a super-premium, ageworthy Aussie red. This release is an excellent Signature, full of strong, minty, mulberried flavour and packed with blackberried depth. It's fresh for its oak and only moderately clipped by toasty, fragrant oak. No alarms, no surprises - just a really good, hearty, structured red. 94/100. Drink 2014-2023; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front There was a long period when the Signature was Yalumba's top red, and while there are a couple of wines that now outrank it in price, it's still arguably the best all-purpose wine in the portfolio. It's certainly reliable. This spends two years in oak, and a further two years in bottle, prior to its release. It's fifty-five per cent cabernet sauvignon. It's strong with minty, mulberried fruit flavour, the mintiness making the wine's ultimate blackberried depth remain fresh and fragrant. Toasty oak sits in the background. Lively acidity. It should age like a charm. 94/100. Drink 2014-2023; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front   The 2004 The Signature is composed of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Shiraz. It was aged for 22 months in French, Hungarian, and American oak, 50% new. Opaque purple-colored, it presents a perfume of pain grille, earth, tar, vanilla, pepper, blueberry, and blackberry. Opulent on the palate, it has gobs of ripe fruit, complexity, superb balance, and exceptional length. It will improve over the next 8-10 years in the cellar and drink well through 2030. 94 Points; Jay Miller erobertparker.com Oct 2007   The Signature 2004 is an impressive example of Barossa cabernet and shiraz with plenty of big, ripe Barossa fruit with solid American and French oak. It's built for the long term and this has years in it. 94/100; Ray Jordan, West Weekend Australian   It took boundary blurring Australians to flesh out cabernet sauvignon's lean frame with a little shiraz, and for five decades this legendary wine has been the stylistic benchmark. A great Australian. Nick Ryan, Virgin Voyeur Magazine   An Australian Classic, dating back to 1962, but deriving from Sir Robert Menzies' declaration at a lunch in Adelaide that the '61 Special Vintage Galway Claret was 'the finest Australian wine I have ever tasted'. It spends 22 months in American oak prior to bottling but never seems to be overwhelmed by it. James Halliday   The Signature has been around for over forty years and has developed a strong loyal following, very much due to its consistency of style, and sustained high quality. A sentimental favourite, with a heritage deeply rooted in Barossan viticulture, it has an ability to unravel a myriad of flavours when enjoyed in its youth and to age gracefully in the bottle, offering great varietal flavours, intensity and genuine value for a wine with such history and pedigree. "The rich berry aromas and flavours combine beautifully with the top-quality oak. Lester Jesberg; Winewise	QTY: