I remember selling this Yalumba Galway back in the day for $6.99 along with its partner in crime Christobels. I still see those classic labels in my mind's eye like it was yesterday.
The shame here is that the quality seems to have taken a few steps backwards. I looked at it over a couple of days, and things didn't really improve. On opening, it smells of burnt rubber, baked plums and dried cherries. It comes across cooked and stewed - a far cry from years gone by. Fruit cake and dark chocolate rise up along with some barbecue rib sauce. There is a tension and rustic presence, but they don't release their grip. Dusty tannins are firm and shroud the finish with a warmth. I'd prefer others.
85/100
Region: Barossa
