1999 Penny's Hill McLaren Valley Shiraz -- dense, dark purple color; pretty big licorice and spice cake nose; full-bodied wine, good acidity, quite velvety; damson plums, cherries, licorice flavors, but after about half an hour those plastic band-aid flavors started to emerge (I used to find this unpleasant, but as long as it's not overwhelming, I accept in some younger wines now) as well as black pepper; medium-long finish with lots of fine tannins kicking in, and just the faintest bit of heat (14.5% alc). Still feels tight despite its age, so I'm hoping for a bit of improvement yet. App. 89-91 pts.

And before anyone asks: C$33. A marginal re-purchase for me at that price.