Elephant in the Room Shiraz 2021
- 92
- $23
- Drink by: 2022-2030
Share
A squat bottle, curious name and terrific label ensure that this wine is bound to catch the eye. The name comes from the fact that so often wine snobs will turn their collective noses up at styles of wines that are public favourites (no doubt the same happens with art, music and so on). To be honest, I’m not all that certain that too many of the wine geeks really are dissing on Barossa Shiraz (and if they are, I still reckon that most of them would enjoy a bottle or two in private) but no matter. I’m all in favour of whatever gets winelovers drinking more of the stuff. The fruit here is destemmed before undergoing a cool fermentation in open fermenters with consistent hand-plunging. Maturation is for six months in a mix of small new (20%) and older French oak.
Inky black/purple, the wine is indeed as advertised – which apparently means wine geeks can stay away but everyone else should load up – big and bold, jampacked with fruit and flavour. We have saturated blackberry notes, plums, chocolate and a hint of vanilla plus an appealing creamy texture. The palate is richly flavoured with more of the same, but toss in some dried fruit notes as well. This has a good six to eight years ahead of it. If you like the style, go big.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
