Jay Miller writes in The Wine Advocate: "The 2003 Chris Ringland Shiraz has according to Ringland, “changed dramatically in the last year, getting denser”. Nevertheless, it is not as saturated in color as the two previous vintages and is more advanced in its development. It is still a brilliant wine with glorious aromatics including spice box, fruitcake, dried fruits, and blueberry preserves. Savory, ripe, and elegant on the palate despite its size, it should be cellared for another 5 years and will give pleasure through 2023.
Chris Ringland is a relatively modest bloke who gives most of the credit for his extraordinary wines to his nearly 100 year old vineyard. He now has 21 vintages under his belt the results of which place him with Marcel Guigal, Gerard Chave, Christophe Baron, Manfred Krankl, and Michel Chapoutier as the international grandmasters of Syrah/Shiraz."
With all due respect, and not that 97 points is a slam or anything, but we tasted the wine a couple of months ago and it was dense, chocolaty, and very well endowed. But, unlike some of the highly rated Shiraz wines from Australia, it has remarkable balance as well as presence. Sure, 'size matters'. But we dare say that this can run with the best wines in the world and, when you compare it with Lafite, Latour, Mouton, Romanee Conti, Screaming Eagle, etc., it is rarer and a relative bargain pricewise in that company.
Wine Advocate calls the 2003 Chris Ringland Shiraz "...a brilliant wine with glorious aromatics including spice box, fruitcake, dried fruits, and blueberry preserves. Savory, ripe, and elegant on the palate despite its size, it should be cellared for another 5 years and will give pleasure through 2023."
