89 POINTS IN THE 2010 WINE SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

5 Stars in Winestate Magazine!

After winning SILVER in the 2009 Winegrapes Australia McLaren Vale Wine Show our 2008 Hard Yards Shiraz has just got 5 stars in Winestate Magazines McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek & Fleurieu Tasting!

“2007 Premium Shiraz – BoozeMonkey.com"

Dark, luscious purple in the glass, velvety and smooth with great legs.

Wonderfully powerful smell of strawberries, with a savoury soy sauce element, vanilla oak and some smokiness. Very seductive.

Great structure and elegant tannins. Intense fruit flavours of stewed strawberries and sour plum, with hints of marzipan, vanilla, and a fruity soy sauce kick. The finish is long and deep, and it makes you want to hog the bottle and suggest your dinner guests switch to beer.

The Premium Shiraz 2007 is another winner from Brian Light at Sylvan Springs. I have had the good fortune to taste half a dozen of his wines now, and I can't get enough: the man can't put a foot wrong. Very impressive.

Reviewer's Rating  

90/100 

Peppery, leathery, smoky & fruity. Blackcurrant jam, blackberry, vanilla oak & a hint of herby/spiciness. A very complex nose.

There is so much going on in this glass, it's difficult to know where to start. First up there is lots of fruit, blackberries, blackcurrants, plums and dark cherries. There is also dark, bitter chocolate and a soft hint of vanilla. Great structure and a velvety-smooth mouthfeel. And on the finish, there is a fantastic bitter/sour cherry flavour which goes on forever. Somehow Brian Light has managed to pull all this together to produce a perfectly-balanced, multi-layered wine in which none of the flavours overpowers any of the others.

Wow! This is not the sort of wine you want to waste on food. This is the sort wine which demands your undivided attention. There is so much going on in the glass, but everything is in perfect balance. The bottle says you should cellar it for 6-10 years, but I can't see how you would manage that... it would be calling to you and keep you awake at night. Hats off, Brian. This is a really impressive Shiraz. Now I know what I want for Christmas.

Reviewer's Rating  

95/100 

Posted on 19 May 2009 by Matt

Sylvan Springs “Cyril’s Reserve” Shiraz 2006
Monday, Apr 7 2008

An inaugural release I think, because I cannot see any mention of it on their website. And though the bottle shot shows a conventional Stelvin seal, this wine is actually dressed smartly in a Stelvin Tux, oh, I mean Stelvin Lux.
A great nose, showing red fruits, milk chocolate, red liquorice, plums, vanilla oak, dusty tannins and a bit of cassia bark. The palate is initially very smooth and approachable, with deceptively soft tannins and supple red fruits, but with time the wine firmed up a bit, and it also displayed a very pleasing richness and a touch of oakiness. Good length and finely balanced. Drank well for four or five hours and also looked good on the second night. Needs two or three years to settle. Rated: 92 Points. www.winorama.com.au

Sylvan Springs Cyril’s Reserve Shiraz 2006
April 6, 2008 Winetastic Review

Posted By: Murray
We have previously reviewed the entry level “Hard Yards” Shiraz from Sylvan Springs here on Winetastic and found it to be most agreeable. As you can imagine when a bottle of their premium Sylvan Springs Cyril’s Reserve Shiraz 2006 arrived unannounced, I was somewhat excited. It is fair to say that Sylvan Springs are currently doing a lot right at both the budget and super-premium level.
Showing a vibrant crimson hue, the aromas are currently subdued with a little vanilla oak, blackberry and cherry showing. Full flavoured but refined and impeccably balanced, the juicy Shiraz fruit glides across the palate and is well supported by spices and a hint of oak. The finish is very long, mouth watering and leaves you wanting more. This is a Shiraz to put to sleep in the cellar for several years.
Straight after opening the aromas were a bit muted, however this is not to be unexpected from a recently bottled premium red. My reaction to the first sip was something along the lines of “wow, this is the best young red wine I have tasted this year”. After a couple of hours, the flavours became even more intense with loads of ripe blackberry fruit coming to the fore.
Score: 93/100
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, At $40 per bottle, I feel it does represent decent value for money.