- Barossa Valley, SA - $28-$42
- Cork (Diam)
- 14.5%alc
The record March heatwave of 2008 created more than a few headaches for Barossa growers, but Grant Burge was still able to fashion one of the season's real highlights for me, with his deliciously long and ripe Filsell Shiraz (93pts). From within the same 'Wines of Distinction' class as Grant Burge's Filsell comes The Holy Trinity, a blend consisting of 44% grenache, 40% shiraz and 16% mourvèdre in 2008.
On opening the 2008 Holy Trinity it smells particularly confected and loose, but after a relaxed stint of 2+ hours in the decanter it composes itself somewhat, revealing a rather plummy, fractionally jammy red fruit and blueberry fragrance marked by sweet tones and a sprinkling of cinnamon, as well as a soft coconut oak influence that doesn't exactly make things anymore savoury. Without being brilliantly bright, the palate announces itself as red; syrup-like, smooth and moderately juicy, but as it kicks into the middle section there are tastes of tar and an undesirably ripe, gritty raisin skin-like character, which morph into a finish that lacks focus, shape, persistence and stuffing. In fact, the finish is the real let down here. It's not overly harsh or taxing but its soft, lingering sweet fruit/oak is inadequately checked (for a wine of its price) by an all-too simple structure, typical of many of the Barossa's 2008s.
X There's a lot of Barossa GSMs from the more grenache friendly 2009 vintage available now, which would make a better choice than Grant Burge's straight forward, sweetly fruited and rather caked, shorter term 2008 Holy Trinity. Drink to 2014.
87 points
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