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Posts Tagged ‘Shiraz’

2007 Target Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz

Monday, April 13th, 2009

84/B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Feb 2009

Medium ruby core with bright purple highlights. Fresh and juicy with red cherry, raspberry and blackberry aromas. Very smooth entry in the mouth. Nice acid makes it juicy. Medium bodied with lots of bright red fruit. Decent balance and a medium-length finish.

Not a wine to impress a bunch of wine geeks, but good enough (and worth the money) for just sitting around and enjoying the company or conversation. It’s kind of like bringing a 30-rack of Coors Light to a party: nobody will complain, because it’s free wine, but if you want to make an impression, bring another bottle along.

This wine was tasted from a 3.0L box, which is the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine. So the “B+” Value Grade is for the wine being priced at about $4.00/bottle.

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2005 Ken Brown “A” Cuvee Syrah

Monday, April 13th, 2009

91/B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Feb 2009

Intense black and purple core with glass coating bright fuchsia color. Very intense aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and boysenberry syrup. Thick and jammy on the nose. Very different on the palate: much more refined and balanced with white pepper and earth around licorice, black cherry and a touch of game.

This is very much an Australian Shiraz on the nose but a Rhone Syrah on the palate. Only 272 cases produced.

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2004 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cab

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

86 / B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 09 Jan 2009

Dark purple/ruby core with a ruby rim. Fresh black cherry aromas backed by anise, cassis and a hint of spicy herbs. Easy entry on the palate with lush black cherry over wet stone, cassis and raspberry. Nice juicy finish.

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2004 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

74 / C-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 09 Jan 2009

Dark maroon core with a garnet rim. Prune and dried cherries with strawberry licorice and a cinnamon hint. Smooth entry on the palate. Soft with black cherry flavors and a hint of mocha on the finish.

This needs to be consumed immediately - starting to taste old.

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2006 R Wines Boarding Pass First Class Shiraz

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

91 / B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008

Inky core with a bright purple rim. Thick blueberry jam aromas are surrounded by smoky game, earth and a lighter hint of cut violets. Rich fruit on the front palate with nice balancing acidity. Brown sugar baked ham and a touch of bacon lurk under blueberry syrup. A touch of earth joins the fruit on the finish. A very clean, fresh and well balanced Shiraz.

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2005 Rosemount Shiraz/Grenache

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

86 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Oct 2008

Dark ruby core and a garnet rim. Juicy and grapey aromas with fresh squeezed blackberry fruit underscored by a darker tar and black cherry note. Easy entry onto the palate. Juicy and round with nice blueberry and blackberry flavors. There is a hint of earth and creamy caramel on the finish.

55% Shiraz, 45% Grenache. Easy drinking. Not overly complex, but a fun wine for before, during or after dinner.

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2005 Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

91 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Feb 2008

Inky dark ruby core with a bright ruby rim. Rich blueberry fruit aromas are countered by nice slatey minerality, smoky *lardon*, and a hint of vanilla cream. The font of the palate is dominated by blueberries and boysenberries. The mouthfeel is impressively round and balanced, and much more restrained than your average overblown Barossa Shiraz. Soft and supple, this beauty is ready to bring home and pop the cork tonight.

Not the typical big jammy South Australia Shiraz. Not the wine if you are looking for an explosive fruit bomb to drink by itself, but rather a more stylish, elegant wine that would go well with powerful, meaty foods.

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2005 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan

Monday, January 26th, 2009

92 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Feb 2008

Very dark purple in the glass with a bright fuchsia and pink rim. This wine is spicy and dense in the nose with anise, new oak and vanilla over big ripe blueberry and blackberry. Dark earth, toffee and a touch of smoky game underlie the fruits. In the mouth this is a lush, round wine with great mouthfeel. Dark, jammy fruits make this wine distinctly Aussi Shiraz, but the balance of the acid and tannin keep it from getting too hedonistic. Rich bittersweet chocolate and vanilla notes linger in the toasty, creamy finish.

More typically Australian with the huge, powerful fruit and color that will stain your teeth (probably not the best way to impress on a first date). With all that fruit though, they manage to make a wine that is well balanced and good to drink. A bit powerful for most foods, but nice fruit and easy to enjoy while sitting on a couch or just hanging around.

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2006 Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz/Viognier

Monday, January 26th, 2009

92 / A

Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Feb 2008

95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, but the little 5% does an amazing job lifting the aromas out of the glass. Fun and different, this is a fantastic little wine. Bright ruby and purple in the glass with a fresh apricot nose over black pepper, blackberry and a touch of menthol. It is smooth and soft in the mouth with rich dark blackberry, apricots and a hint of tar. Spicy and lingering on the finish with a faint dark earthy note.

This wine is a great all around, aromas and flavors. Easy to drink, and fairly versatile: drink it alone or with food - but make it rich, meaty or saucy food, as this is a big wine that doesn’t hold back. Viognier is a white wine, but the small amount added doesn’t affect the dark ruby color of the wine. This is a very common blend in the Rhone region of France.

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2006 R Wines Strong Arm Shiraz

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

88 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Apr 2008

Dark ruby core with hints of purple. Plum and black cherry aromas with some floral notes. Soft and lush on the palate. Lots of jammy fruit, with good acid balance to keep it fresh on the finish.

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