What we've been drinking

Charles Cimicky Reserve Barossa Shiraz 1998
A big, full bodied red in its youth, age has mellowed this somewhat into a more rounded red fruit style & chocolate style. Drinking at its peak now, but with time on its side, its a nice aged Barossan Shiraz but without hitting the absolute high notes.

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1998
This also was a monster in its youth and is still incredibly intense even now. The nose carries the trademark super ripe Armagh nose of raisins, turkish delight and roasted meat with a sumptuously rich and sweet fruited palate. This is probably drinking at its peak, for there is a creep of mushroomy development that takes over this wine pretty quickly (though the cork was very soft in this). Drink up (good bottles are probably still going strong).