From a vineyard planted in 1972, the 2003 Shiraz Heysen was aged 20 months in 40% American and 60% French oak, of which less than one-third was new. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous nose of blackberry jam interwoven with melted licorice, charcoal, smoke, and roasted meats. Stunning richness as well as opulence, and a powerful, multi-layered mouthfeel suggest this superb Barossa Shiraz should be at its finest between 2007-2020. Note: These wines were formerly sold under the Veritas name, but because of trademark problems, Rolf Binder is in the process of changing his wines’ labels. In addition, the Veritas Pressings is now called Hubris, the Christa Rolf Shiraz/Grenache is now Halliwell, and the Crista Rolf Shiraz is now the Hales Shiraz.From one of Australia’s finest winemakers, this wine stood out brilliantly for its precision, richness, complexity, and ageworthiness. In addition, some very good bargains are available from this talented producer.Importers: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel (610) 486-0800 and Joshua Tree Imports, Azusa, CA; tel. (626) 358-6600