Graham Beck Shiraz  2001, W.O. Coastal Region.

Colour: deep, black purple.
Nose: compact, closed, but after some time in the glass more and more expressive and dominantly (black, ripe and spicy) fruity, with copious amounts of creamy and toasty oak. Many nuances of sweet and powerful fruit, spices, smoke, minerals and impressions of vanillin and butterscotch.  Not subtle or refined, but big and bold, right in your face.
Taste: very powerful, loads of ripe tannins, extract, good acidity, compact and well structured, warm and spicy, rich and creamy, but with enough grip of the tannins and acidity,  strongly oaked, smoky, intensely fruity and earthy impressions. Impressive and strong, certainly not tough or hard, very well balanced. Not refined or elegant.
Finish: long and intense, powerful, well balanced with many tannins, ripe and spicy, warm, but with good fresh acidity and lots of fruit, smoke and vanilla.

* A strong wine with grip and power. A wine to impress, but also to drink with pleasure with strong and rich dishes, not for the faint hearted, not the last word in refinement, but brimming with fruit, oak and spices, warm and also with enough freshness to balance its richness. Excellent wine making resulting in a very good, but not great wine (lacking depth and refinement). Compact and strong, but certainly not tough or hard. Very good value for money.

- Can be drunk now, will mature very well over the next years, drink before 2010.

- If you like it strong and bold, this is your wine. Excellent wine making, no over extraction, high pleasure level.

- lotnr.: L 3098

- tasted: 22-10-’03, retasted several times (consistent notes)

- estimated retail price ca. 13,00 euro

- average production: not known

- Graham Beck Coastal Cellar, P.O. Box 134 Franschhoek 7690, tel.: (021) 874-1258 / fax.: (021) 874-1712 / e-mail: coastal@grahambeckwines.co.za / web site: www.grahambeckwines.co.za
Export agent: Poot Agenturen, Jan van de Laarweg 12, 2678 LH De Lier, The Netherlands, tel.: +31-174-512561 / fax.: +31-174-514123 / e-mail: info@poot.nl