Hobbs Shiraz Gregor (Amarone) 2010
Wine Description & Tasting Notes
The fruit for our Gregor Shiraz is sourced from Shiraz vines planted in 1988 on our home block high in the Barossa Ranges. The soils up here are rocky, yellow podzolic matter over clays and we utilise double-wire trellising in our vineyard.
The fruit is harvested by hand before being placed on racks and semi-dried in the style of the famous Amarone wines of Italy. The grapes are then fermented in open vats with twice daily pump-overs before being aged in new A.P. Johns Bordelais French puncheons for a period of 24 months.
Solid, impenetrable red/purple in hue, the 2010 Gregor immediately shows ripe, concentrated fruit aromas of blackberry, Satsuma plum, black cherry, blackcurrant and cassis with lighter notes of grilled fig and mulberry. Underlying savoury notes add to the complex aromas. Hints of licorice, polished leather, "Old Jamaican " chocolate, Asian spice, roasting coffee beans, beef consommé, earth and tobacco leaf.
Weighty and textured with a supple, velvet-like mouthfeel the 2010 Gregor shows opulent fruit characters of blackberry, plum, cassis, black cherry and kirsch in heady proportions. This ripe, concentrated fruit is underscored by hints of dark chocolate, five-spice, grilled figs, Sichuan pepper, dried tobacco, espresso and earth along with lighter shades of leather and subtle, toasty oak.
The wine highlights all that is great about the 2010 vintage in the Barossa Ranges with structure and restrained power in spades. The wine shows great harmony with a shimmering line of acidity keeping the supple, rich fruit in check and providing a backbone around the swathe of ripe, super-fine silky tannins. While already approachable for drinking now the 2010 Gregor shows great promise in the cellar. Only 350 cases produced.
Wine Reviews
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2010
94 points
Smooth, velvety and expressive, with a plush texture to the rich currant, plum and spice flavors, coursing through the long, beautifully integrated finish.
Drink now through 2020
—Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Insider 2012
Gregor Shiraz 2008
91 points
Ripe and generous, with a cooked edge to the black cherry, smoke and beet flavors, lingering softly. An Amarone-style wine made from Shiraz. Drink with cheese. Drink now through 2018. 240 cases made.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Insider 2012
Gregor Shiraz 2007
93 points
Rich and fleshy, with a sweet sensation to the ripe plum and currant fruit, mingling with cream and white chocolate on the long, vivid finish. Made in the style of Amarone. Drink now through 2017. 240 cases made.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Insider 2010
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2006
93 points
Distinctly peppery, especially the aroma, which leads to a ripe, rich mouthfeel and generous currant, plum and black cherry fruit that almost—but not quite—drowns out the pepper. Distinctive stuff, a sort of Amarone-style Shiraz, this is fun to drink and promising for the cellar. Drink now through 2018.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator 2009
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2006
93 points
The 2006 Gregor Shiraz is made from fruit dried on trays in the style of Amarone. More deeply colored than the above two wines, it has a liqueur, Port-like character to its aromas and flavors although it is dry. Notes of licorice and chocolate as well as assorted black fruits make an appearance on the palate. Layered, balanced, and long, this unique effort will continue to blossom with several more years of cellaring and offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2026.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2009
Gregor Shiraz 2005
93 points
Rich, ripe and generous with its green olive-scented black cherry and licorice flavors that linger on the polished finish, with bright raspberry notes sneaking in at the end. Drink now through 2017.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator 2008
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2005
96 points
The 2005 Gregor Shiraz was made from grapes dried on racks prior to crushing and fermentation in the style of Amarone. More deeply colored than its siblings, it has a liqueur, port-like character to its aromas and flavors. Large in scale and richly fruity, it conceals enough ripe tannin to evolve for 6-8 years. Drink this singular effort from 2015 to 2035.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2009
Gregor Shiraz 2004
93 points
Dense, dark and dangerous, a smooth-textured red that comes on strong with dried blueberry, cherry and Asian spice. The flavors sing loud, with remarkable harmony on the full-throttle finish. Drink now through 2014. 230 cases made.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator 2007
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2004
95 points
The 2004 Shiraz "Gregor" was sourced from a younger vineyard and includes partially dried fruit in the style of Amarone. The wine spent 2 years in new French oak hogsheads. It is more deeply colored than its sibling and has a liqueur/port-like character to its aromas and flavors. Powerful, rich, and layered, but with less complexity, this lengthy wine can be enjoyed over the next 12-14 years.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2007
Gregor Shiraz 2003
97 points
Packs an amazing amount of rich, ripe wild blackberry, red plum, raspberry and blueberry flavor into a lithe package that seduces with its suppleness and relative refinement for the size of the wine. Has creamy coffee and exotic spice notes flitting through the finish as it rolls on and on. Drink now through 2020. 233 cases made.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator 2007
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2003
96 points
Made from yields of two tons of fruit per acre, and aged two years in both new and old French oak, the 2003 Shiraz Gregor (from 16-year-old vines) possesses a roasted/scorched earth character as some of the fruit is dried a la Amarone. Rich and full- bodied, with a broodingly dense, concentrated style, an inky/blue/purple color, fabulous length as well as intensity, and riveting fruit, it can be enjoyed over the next 12-15 years.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2006
Gregor Shiraz 2002
95 points
Distinctly peppery, a spicy mouthful of cherry, red plum and cream flavors and supersilky tannins with a layer of black pepper character that shows on the first whiff and doesn't give up as the finish goes on and on. Has real personality and style. Drink now through 2022.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator 2005
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2002
93 points
Made from younger vines (30 years), the 2002 Shiraz Gregor is more Amarone-like than the regular bottling, offering concentrated, intense notes of figs, blackberries, cherries, and currants along with an earthy, chocolatey character that is probably due to the fact that some of the grapes are semi-dried after harvest and before fermentation. After years in French oak, it is a big, full-throttle Shiraz that should age effortlessly for 10-15 years. Consumers should think of it as an Amarone Shiraz from Australia.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2005
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