100 pts WA It is difficult to say that Chris Ringland’s latest Shiraz is his best to date because he has set the bar so high. The 2002 Shiraz “Chris Ringland,” sourced from a vineyard planted in 1910 with yields of 1 ton per acre, comes from a vintage Ringland describes as “too good to be true”. The wine took 18 months to go through malolactic fermentation. Purple/black-colored, it offers up a killer perfume of mineral, scorched earth, truffle, fresh asphalt, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry. Full-bodied, dense, and thick, it has fabulous spicy, black fruit flavors, great balance, and enough structure to drink well for 30-40 years. It is a truly monumental Shiraz on a level with the best Syrahs of Guigal, Chave, Chapoutier, Bratasiuk, and Krankl. To put the 2002 in some context, Ringland also presented the 1999 (99 points), the 2000 (97 points), and the 2001 (100 points). I’m convinced!