Aged 24 months in new French oak, the 2008 The Ebenezer Shiraz gives a very deep garnet-purple color and intense crushed blackberry and blueberry notes with some dark chocolate, licorice and a touch of mocha. The palate is very rich and densely packed with opulent ripe fruit supported by medium-firm fine grained tannins and crisp acid. With a long finish, this is classic top quality Barossa. It’s approachable now with lots of tempting primary fruit and ripe tannins, though complex layers should begin to develop with a further 3-4 years in bottles, cellaring through 2020. Importer: Ronnie Sanders, Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA; www.vsimports.com

Velvety and open-textured, not heavy but nicely filled out with red berry and cherry flavors, with smoky, meaty overtones. Comes together gracefully, if not quite as forcefully as some. Drink now through 2016. 400 cases made, 112 cases imported.??–HS??Region: Australia / Barossa / Barossa Valley Select to Add