98 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 2006

There are 1,400 cases of the flagship cuvee, the Block 6 Shiraz, which is aged 28 months in 60% new American oak and 40% new Hungarian oak. Typically, it possesses between 15-16% alcohol and is always a candidate for twenty or more years of cellaring. The 2004 Shiraz Block 6 is the finest example of this cuvee since the 1998. It is an awesomely concentrated Shiraz with an inky/plum/garnet/purple color and a sweet nose of roasted meats, dried herbs, ground pepper, blackberries, and cassis. This intense, full-bodied effort boasts a profound depth and richness as well as layer upon layer of awesome concentration and length. While approachable, it should hit its peak in 5-6 years, and last for two decades or more. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283

About Winery

Their first vintages were crushed with a hand crusher (a wooden roller with protruding spikes), and then by horse power, with a horse walking around a capstan which turned a crusher. Their first thoughts of exporting were in 1897, when it is recorded in the diary on 29th April, "H. Kay took samples of Amery No.1 (1896 Carbenet) and Amery No.2 (1896 Blend) to J.G. Kelly to take to England". The first Amery bottlings took place in November 1898, with twenty-six dozen bottles of an 1896 wine. In August the following year they sent six bottles of 1897 Frontignac to the Adelaide Show. In August 1900 they bottled four dozen pints of the 1896 Burgundy under an Amery label. By 1911 there were 123 acres of vineyard at Amery and they bought additional grapes from local growers, vintaging 230,000 litres. In 1926 they were making 340,000 litres, two thirds of which was called "London Blend" and went for export. They also made quantities of dry white and sweet wine. In 1927 a newspaper article mentioned Amery as making "Australian Burgundy, a full bodied dry wine, for which this district is eminently suitable. No spirit is added and the fermentation is a natural process. The local consumption, however, is restricted, as Australians seem to prefer a sweet wine. The Burgundy is sold wholesale, and is used for blending and to raise the tone of other varieties." Herbert Kay was Chairman of the Australian Wine Board for twelve years from 1933. He died in 1948 one year after Frederick. The Kay Brothers had been partners in business for fifty-seven years, which is a remarkable record on the Australian winemaking scene. Herbert's son Cuthbert (Cud) Kay took over the management and winemaking at Amery and increased the vineyards, concentrating on more Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Riesling with some smaller areas of Sauvignon Blanc and White Frontignac. The Riesling were the first true variety in the area and some of the older traditional winemakers of the district were prophetic of failure; time happily has proved to the contrary and today outstanding wines are still being made from this variety in McLaren Vale. (The Riesling recorded in the diary in 1891 were, in fact, mainly the variety we now know as Chenin Blanc,) In the 1960's changes occurred in the British market and that coupled with uneconomic prices led to the development of Australian markets for the winery output; initially this was in bulk to other winemakers but progressiv

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