Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2006 Meshach is still a little mute with a core of dark plum preserves and blackberries and hints of chocolate, hung meat, damp earth and cloves. The full bodied palate is still tightly knit with a solid structure of medium to firm very finely grained tannins and racy acid supporting the dense, muscular fruit, finishing long. It still needs time to open and marry and should drink best 2014 to 2024+. Tasting three vintages of Grant Burge’s flagship wine, Meshach, with him in Autumn 2011, he told me a bit more about the background of the wine. It’s named after his grandfather: “I was looking for a name that had something to do with longevity. My grandfather lived for 99 years and 9 months.” The wine has always been made entirely from old vine Barossa Shiraz, predominately coming from the Filsell vineyard planted in the 1920s. “When we started first making the wine in 1988 it was a 100% American oak. But then we thought the oak was too sweet. Since 1998 we use 20% French oak and 80% American. We made the change in 1998. The current vintage, 2006 Meshach, was released in March 2011. Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd., St. Helena, CA; www.wilsondaniels.com