A flagship cuvee, the 2003 Shiraz Black Guts is fashioned from a 47-year-old vineyard planted in the Vine Vale section of Barossa. Its wood regime of 30 months in a combination of new American and new as well as old French barrels resulted in a fabulous expression of Barossa Shiraz. Deep, full-bodied, and intense with peppery, blackberry, smoky, roasted meat, and herb characteristics, a huge, expansive, chewy mouthfeel, and a stunning, 50-second finish, this profound Shiraz is approachable, but should age beautifully for 15-20 years. If you haven’t yet noticed, Christian Canute is one of Australia’s finest young mavericks. At the ripe old age of 28, he’s doing work that suggests someone with twice as much experience. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283