2005 Small Gully Wines Grenache The Formula Barossa Valley
($15) Medium red. Fresh raspberry and candied cherry aromas display impressive clarity and energy, with suave floral notes adding complexity. Sweet, velvety red berry flavors possess good energy and breadth, and flesh out nicely with air. Finishes bright, juicy and persistent. This is drinking well now.
2004 Small Gully Wines The Formula Robert's Adelaide Plains
($15) Deep ruby. Spicy cherry and dark berries on the nose, with seductive vanillin oak and baking spice accents. Plush and creamy, with sweet blackberry and cassis flavors, no apparent tannins and a gentle acid lift. A bit simple and jammy to be sure, but fans of this style would be hard-pressed to find a similar example for anywhere near this price.
2004 Small Gully Wines Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz The Formula Clare Valley/Barossa Valley
($15; a 60/40 blend) Ruby-red. Spicy redcurrant and cherry scents are lifted by urgent minerality and dried flowers. Tangy red berry flavors are sweetened by vanillin oak and firmed by dusty tannins. Youthfully wound up and a bit tart on the finish. Will this flesh out with some age?
2004 Small Gully Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley
($15) Dark ruby. Fresh red- and blackcurrant on the nose, with black tea and cocoa adding depth. Lively dark berry flavors show a primal quality, with strong acid and mineral lift, firm tannins and a late hit of espresso. Surprisingly complex for this price point, with impressive thrust and persistence on the back. I'd wait a year or two for this to unwind.
2004 Small Gully Wines Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre Mr. Black's Concoction Barossa Valley
($20; a 50/40/10 blend) Dark red. Spiced cherry and blackberry on the nose, accented by cracked pepper and rose. Lush, creamy dark berry liqueur flavors are strikingly deep and pure, with no rough edges or herbacity. The sweet, long finish features impressively pure dark berry and spice flavors.
2004 Small Gully Wines Shiraz Mr. Black's Concoction Barossa Valley
($20) Inky ruby. Highly perfumed, spicy bouquet of red and dark berries, tobacco and clove. Ripe but focused dark fruit flavors are gently lifted by fresh acidity and framed by light tannins. An elegant, medium-bodied wine with a lightly chewy texture and good finishing energy.
2004 Small Gully Wines Shiraz Black Magic Barossa Valley
($80) Opaque ruby. Highly perfumed nose offers vibrant cherry and blueberry scents, with an array of spices and minerals adding complexity. Sweet and impressively vinous, with assertive dark fruit flavors saved from jamminess by vibrant acidity. This boasts outstanding freshness, finishing with pure, juicy blue and black fruits. Yum! (Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA)
