WTN: 2005 Massena Shiraz Barossa Valley Epsilon

"[A]bundant aromas of raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and spice box, and a full-bodied, rich fleshy style. A hedonistic tour de force in winemaking," reports Jon Rimmerman in a quote from Parker hailing this Barossa Valley red. All that and an RP score of 94 and a piddling little price of eighteen bucks and change, so how could I go wrong? So I send in an order to Garagiste and four months later the bottles arrive, and the first cork I pull sports Rimmerman's customary encouraging thread-width band of red around the base, sign that the wine has enjoyed the coolest and carefulest of care. A sniff and a sip, though, relegate this one to our cupboard reserved for pancake syrup and future reduction sauces. I should have known. When Parker says a Shiraz is "fleshy" and "hedonistic" that's apt to be code for sweetie.

Agree. Nothing in the bottle that is of interest to my palate.
Bill

[Jenise]

When Parker says a Shiraz is "fleshy" and "hedonistic" that's apt to be code for sweetie.

Absolutely, especially when it comes out of the Barossa. Rimmerman does have a convincing way with words, though, doesn't he?

When Parker says a Shiraz is "fleshy" and "hedonistic" that's apt to be code for sweetie.

Absolutely, especially when it comes out of the Barossa. Rimmerman does have a convincing way with words, though, doesn't he?

Yep, Jon's purple prose has sold me many a case, and fortunately I've found my preferences match up well with his. In this case, though, I bought on the RP score, which was my fault as I learned long ago to raise a red flag when Parker uses words like "fleshy," "hedonistic" or "smoky/woody/oaky," which in my lexicon mean respectively over-extracted, sweet and over-oaked. (The Epsilon's review and sins, to the wine's credit, didn't include the latter.)

[Jenise]

fortunately I've found my preferences match up well with his.

Same here most of the time. But I haven't learned to read between the lines with him as well as I need to--some of the wines just haven't lived up to the billing.