kilikanoon oracle shiraz 05 the best shiraz in the world
The flagship red of Clare Valley winery Kilikanoon has always been the Oracle Shiraz since they opened their doors back in 1998. So it’s not surprising that the Oracle Shiraz 2005 won the trophy for Best Shiraz worldwide at the world ’s biggest wine competition in London, the 2008 International Wine Challenge, and scored a gold medal at the 2008 Concours Mondial in Brussels.
The competition had 400 judges who participated in 9000 blind tastings in the world’s largest wine competition, spending two weeks intensively tasting wines from 40 different countries.
Ninety of the 367 wines which were awarded gold medals received trophies, after additional rigorous blind tasting. Last year Australia won the honour of collecting the most trophies of the show, but in 2008 France
regained the top position with 20 trophies, while Australia ran a close
second with 18, followed by Portugal (13) and Italy (10).
“We are particularly proud to win trophies at such prestigious international competitions,” says winemaker Kevin Mitchell.
“Kilikanoon specialises in terroir-driven wines, especially shiraz and of course, the Oracle comes from our home in the Clare Valley, from vines planted by my father Mort back in the 1960s and 70s.”
The judges thoughts of the Oracle are: Coffee aromas, and a complex fruity nose, with fine-framed tannins on a multi-layered mid-palate.
“A powerful wine with a lingering farewell.”
With careful cellaring it should age well for 12 to 15 years.
We are lucky to still have a limited stock of Kilikanoons Oracle Shiraz 2005 at The Vine Press along with the current 2006 vintage which is shaping up to be as impressive. Both these wines are available for $79.99.
Hints of coffee, chocolate and menthol integrate and complex well with the spicy French oak Palate: Richly textured and flavoured, initial sweet plum and berry fruits integrated with the firm tannins and a smooth, alcohol finish. The palate ’s natural acidity and subtle oak characters provide length, complexity and persistence
Starting off as a single vineyard wine from the famed Morts Block ’ Clare Valley vineyard, it has been widely acclaimed as a fine example of what Clare shiraz can achieve.
Low-yielding shiraz from this single 40-year-old vineyard was frilly ripened, fermented in open topped fermenters, basket pressed into new and one-year-old French oak hogsheads and allowed to mature for 24 months.
Powerfully suggestive with ripe, spicy plum and coffee fruits, densely layered chocolate and oak char complementing and persisting on the palate.
