Lazy Ballerina Shiraz 2009

I opened a bottle of this a little while ago, took some notes, intended to write them up here, and then lost them. It's not unusual for me to lose things, but this time I feel it was Freudian - I needed an excuse to open another bottle.

This wine is also a reminder to me why I don't review wines unless I can spend time with them. I tried this at cellar door, and it was clearly a very good wine but it didn't blow me away as much as the 2008 did at the same time last year. Apparently my taste buds hadn't quite woken up at cellar door. They're wide awake now.

Magnificent colour pouring into the decanter, almost iridescent purple and crimson. Loving this colour is probably Freudian too. Growing up, we had a plum tree in the backyard, and at least one time I recall my brother and I having a plum fight. We spent quite some time hosing off the plums before Mum and Dad got home, which is a shame really because the house looked brilliant with purple polka dots.

Fabulous nose. Red cherries, blueberries, a hint of fennel and lurking around in the background is something dark and wicked. You know how when you're at a party with loud music and you're trying to talk to some lady who isn't your lady and you have to lean in quite close to them to yell in their ear (for guys I just yell louder). Well, sometimes they smell quite nice, wickedly nice. I think they've been dabbing LazyB Shiraz behind their ears instead of perfume.

I don't think my wife reads this blog. You'll know if she does when the posts stop suddenly.

The flavours are complex. It's like being in your car at a train crossing, waiting as a freight train goes past. You sit there trying to read the graffiti on each carriage, but just as you've almost worked out what the word was, another one appears. And then another. Quite a lot more follow. So please forgive my failed taste buds if they can't get beyond "yum".

Tannins fine and velvety but they really need more time yet. Acid perfectly matches that though. This wine will age well, so unlike me try to hide it away for 2-3 years, but get enough you can drink it for a lot more years than that.

James Hook, the winemaker, told me he gets almost ill with apprehension when he releases a new wine. Clearly it's not because he fears the wine's quality, but just because he cares so much about what he's created. I love that.

Rated Excellent++ and ****.