Sandhill Syrah 2007

Sandhill has hit one out of the park with this classic Aussie style Shiraz.  I like the big Aussie when it’s done well, but too often it’s overdone one way.  This Sandhill Shiraz has the big fruity style, but it’s perfectly balanced – delicious without hitting you over the head.  Not so much “wow,” as “mmmm.”   I won’t give it a score or value rating, but I will say that I had a bottle last week and went out and picked up six more.  I had another glass tonight, and I think I’ll pick up another half dozen tomorrow.  There’s not much left in the province.  $23.49.

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2006

Here’s my pick for the value wines sweepstakes.  This has always been a classic

good value Aussie Shiraz, but it seems to me that the price was creeping up towards $30 in the past few years (or maybe that was the Show Reserve?)  Anyway, this one is a winner at the price if you’re looking for a Aussie Shiraz with good fruit but without the overdone jammy-ness that makes the cheaper wines to unappealing.

Price $19.99
Score 88
Value 4/5
UPC 9300727140517

Mission Hill S.L.C. Syrah 2004

Things have been quiet on the blog lately - I've mostly been drinking wine out of my cellar, so I haven't had a lot of new stuff to blog about.  So I'm going to bend the rules a bit with this review from Peter.  The Mission Hill SLC Syrah isn't currently available at ANBL, but many wines from Mission Hill are, including others in the SLC series, so I figure that's close enough. 



--- Peter's Review ---

This one is not available in New Brunswick, but I see a few of Mission Hill's
S.L.C and Oculus wines are, so it might be a nice relative comparison.

Nose - Initially plush floral aromas, a distinct chocolate hint, with delicious
raspberry reduction scents were very attractive. With some air it became chock
full of vanilla and a less delightful soapy raspberry smell.

Taste- medium-full body with a good structure.  The tannins were there, but well
integrated into the backbone.  No heat.  Well balanced with hints of good
acidity. There was a raspberry and cherry flavor throughout, and later with air
a significant dose of oaky vanilla.  It hinted at some earthiness, but hard to
pull out.  It has a freshness that was enjoyable.

Overall a nice wine.  Not a great value. But enjoyable none-the-less. I long
debated when to drink this one, and figured six years old would be a safe time.
This was based upon the initial recommendation from the sommellier in Kelowna,
as well as a few reviews on cellartracker.  I presume it was as good as any
time to drink.

Region: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Price: ~$35 at fine wine boutique in Kelowna
Value 3/5
Score: 88+ points

Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz Bin 28 1998

It’s not so long ago that I started building a cellar, so it’s only now that I’m starting to drink some wines that have been cellared for a few years.  This Bin 28 illustrates that older is not necessarily better. This is from the middle of the Penfolds range – the current release is almost $40 in NB – and as I recall, 1998 was supposed to be a very good year, yet this wine didn’t show particularly well.  It was well balance and well made, but the fruit had faded and it there wasn’t a lot of complexity to replace it.  Still enjoyable, but at least a couple of years past its peak.  A solid 88 nonetheless.  It’s not fair to give it a value score.  If you have any of these in your cellar, drink up.

South Australia, Shiraz
Price: $38.29 (current release)
UPC: 012354071834

Concha y Toro - Winemakers Lot 148 & Lot 54

A two-for-one review from Michelle.

--- Michelle's Review ---

Concha y Toro - Winemakers Lot 148 Carmenere - Chile $19.79

A two for one review! Since they were both from Concha y Toro, I thought I would do them together. First, the Carmenere. For some reason I get a certain thrill out of a beautiful violet, inky colored wine being poured into my glass. It gives a possible introduction to the nose and the palette will be. This one did not disappoint. My boyfriend, who will tell you right off the bat that he has no palate for this type of thing, said it was a "nice wine". Nice indeed! Beautiful on the nose with violets and chocolate. It had a deep dark fruit, coffee and balanced out with almost a fruit cake finish. Not last year's fruit cake but one that's warm and just out of the oven and topped in a butterscotch sauce. I really enjoyed this one. I am going to Dieppe to get some more before its gone. The price is definitely doesn't justify such a great wine. For $19.79 I suggest you pick up a few more. For dinner, I braised the roast beef in this wine with some chicken stock, garlic, onions and thyme. After the roast was done, I then added some sautéed mushrooms and lots of black pepper to make a reduction. WOW! Maybe it was the beef, maybe it was the wine, but the combination was dead on.

Concha y Toro Winemakers Lot 54 Syrah - Chile $19.79

Now the Syrah. I wouldn't say this was a typical syrah. It seems the Chilean's have a different idea on what that should be. Again, I was impressed. Of course the nose had the pepper and anise of a syrah. But on the palette it has a wonderful structure. Beautifully balanced chocolate, coffee, ending in a strawberry/plum finish. Again, an excellent price for a really great wine. Now to pick up more….

E.Guigal Crozes Hermitage 2002

This vintage is no longer available at ANBL, but there is plenty of a subsequent vintage. (The ANBL website says it’s the 2004, but we all know the vintage info on the website is not very reliable.) Since ‘02 was the worst vintage in years, whatever vintage is available stands a good chance of being even better. (Depending on how it has been stored - from what I’ve seen, storage at ANBL isn’t always ideal.) Anyway, has anyone tried the currently available vintage?

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Received this as a Christmas gift and I was a little leery of the vintage (RP gave Northern Rhone 78 for the 2002 vintage). Decanted for 1 hour.
Sight- heavy bricking to brownish tints.
Nose- Cigarette ash, white pepper, Wild Blueberries and raspberries. Other aromas of tar and other petrol scents. Intense nose.
Taste- Dark berries, rasp and blue. Lots of fruit. Good Acidity and tannins. Wet Stone. Mocha espresso and warm oak. Long finish.
Overall- really surprised by the depth of taste in this wine. It had a lot going one. This did not taste old or worn out. Great Wine, but I suspect that this is as good as this is going to get, the sight of the wine suggests that it may start to decline soon. Great Cork.
Drink' em if you got 'em.

Price: $32.29
Value 4/5
Score: 93
Region: France, Northern Rhone
Grape: Syrah
Alcohol: 12.5%
UPC: 3536650801003

Fontodi Syrah Case Via 2003

This review is short but sweet.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Tated with Cmacdonald July 25, 2009.
Appearance: clear and clean, mod-strong purple.
Aroma: game-y, spicy, coconut, dark chocolate. Pleasant, intense and complex. Raw steak. Reminded me of aussie shiraz. Wow.
Taste: lots of acidity, chocolate, coconut, dark cherries, rich. Long finish-- Great Wine.

Price: $38.00 (sale price) - no longer available
Value: 5/5
Score: 95
Alcohol: 14%
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Tasted: July 2009

E. Guigal Saint Joseph 2003

Here is something different - as Iron Chef says, we don't get a lot of North Rhone here (but we did review a Crozes-Hermitage last winter) and because it's a departure from our recent run of value-priced whites.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

There are so few Northern Rhone wines in NB, I was waiting to try this one, and Father’s day was the excuse. WS rates 2003 as a 94 pt Vintage for Northern Rhone.

Taste: Spicy- aromas of raw pepper steak. Warm toasty wood. Nutmeg and Cinnamon. Blueberry and currant fruit jam. Smokey. Smelled a bit like an Aussie Shiraz, Reynella-like. Full Nose- highly complex.
Taste: Blueberry preserves, Sandalwood, Bold/Chalky Tannins, Menthol. Rounding out with Earth & Tar and a neat Dark Chocolate finish that lingered forever.

Overall a Great wine that reminded me of an Aussie Shiraz that was more muted and nuanced with structure and refinement. No candied wine here- tar and earth.

Price: $38.99
Score: 94 (WS 88, RP 90-92)
Value: For Northern Rhone 4.5/5
Region: France, Northern Rhone
Grape: Syrah
Alcohol 12.5%
UPC #3536650901000

Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz 2005

Tancred is an Aussie Shiraz afficionado amd the Leasingham Bin 61 was one of my favourite wines in its price range a few years ago, around the 1998 - 2000 vintages. Sounds like it has slipped since then.

--- Tancred's Review ---

This is a trophy and gold medal winner from a winery based in the clare valley of south australia, a region known more for some excellent and very dry Rieslings. Wine spectator gave the bin 61 a 91 and NBliquor has only a limited supply, so I took a chance and bought four on faith (though I have had earlier vintages). Lots of red berries on the nose and palate, and some decent complexity, though I didn't detect much of the bold spiciness that is characteristic of Australian shiraz. As well, there was a some harshness on the finish that I did not enjoy - maybe this will soften with age. WS called the finish 'lively' and I would agree with that. We'll try it again in a couple of years.

Price: $31.79
Score: 87
Value: 3/5
UPC: 9311043064418

Marrenon Rosé de Syrah 2007

I was asking for more on rosé, and Michelle has obliged.

--- Michelle's Review --

Summer lovin' it happened so fast. Summer lovin', I was having a glass..or two. Oh the joys of finding a nice summer sipper. I find that this time of year, my usual hardy reads are shelved until the chill of late summer or even early fall set in. For me its beer or crisp white wine season OR what has trilled me with this review, rose season!

I have to say that I have steered clear, for many years, of the rosé's. It could not be helped. Every time I looked at a bottle of rose, chilling in the cooler, I was immediately reminded of the teenage years. You know, getting the cheapest stuff we could find to take to the high school dances, then plugging our noses as we drank the concoction that was labeled "wine". Oh you all did it, you know you did.

But I digress. Now in my mature adult years, I am more flexible and open to trying wines outside my comfort zone. For crying out loud, I tried a Viognier a couple weeks ago, taste untried!

This particular time I was actually looking for something refreshing. A summer sipper if you will. I scanned the whites and nothing appealed to me. I then spotted the rosé's and with great trepidation I picked up this one. Bang for the buck! $12.49 and a decent drink. It was excellent. Not overly fruity, clean and crisp. I shall be picking up another bottle very soon.

Price: $12.49
Value: 4/5
UPC: 3256811113713

Casa de Campo Reserve Shiraz 2006

I'm not drinking much red wine these days - I fact, I'm not drinking that much wine at all, and when I do it's usually white. So good thing Iron Chef is still at it.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Nose: Smelled like a Syrah- Cola scented and some wild meat favours. Green Peppers and Toasty Oak.
Palate: Herbal notes, some gamey elements. Well rounded toasted oak. Some sweet candied favours.
Overall: a normal new world wine except for the roasted wood favours that I liked. Worth a try. Not decanted.

Price: $14.29
Score 86
Value 3/5
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Alcohol 14%
UPC #7790762050186

Graham Beck Shiraz 2004

Come on now, we can't let Iron Chef do all the work. After all, drinking wine isn't that much of a burden. If you have tried a wine and have something to say about it, just send me a review at nbwines / at / gmail / dot / com, or want to stay anonymous (which is fine) post a review on the Make a Suggestion thread.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Nose: Gravelly Cassis, Horse Sweat, some sweetish plums. Barn like wood would be how I describe the wood- like most South African wines (Dank).
Taste: Peppery Spice, some musty book tastes and Cherry Twizzler mixed in. Tannins were present that left some grippy sensations. And that 'sweat'.
Overall: I liked it, it may have been academic in a sense that the nose had more going on than taste, but it was good. I am a sucker for a good nose. Its not cheap though, I can think of better values- in SAQ only $19.45.

Retail Price: $22.99

Score: 87
Value: 2/5
Region: Coastal South Africa
Alcohol 14.5%
UPC #699446000127

Jacobs Creek Shiraz 2006

It looks like Peanutman's review got the ball rolling again. Here's one from Iron Chef:

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

I have had good memories of this wine from years ago, but have almost completely stopped drinking Australian wine all together. I thought this might be a good place to start again.
Nose- smells hot, extracted cherries in heavy sauce. Some dried spice like cloves. Nice white pepper also. Straightforward nose, not real complex.
Taste- Strewed Black Currant Jam, Peppery spray and black coffee. Strange mouth feel- itchy- like when I eat the skins of plums or peaches. I might have sensitivity to pectin.
Overall- straightforward wine- good, but not memorable. I am glad I took notes or I might have forgotten it. The pepper was the best attribute and that is only a good comment when you are talking about Dr Pepper or a Pepper Steak.

Retail Price: $14.29
Score: 84
Value: 3/5
Region: South Eastern Australia
Alcohol 14%
UPC # 9300727488114

Colonial Estate Explorateur 2005

"The cheap wine style, without the nasty cheap wine taste." That was my comment to Kelly after having a glass of this wine. I didn’t enjoy this wine at all. I suppose they were going for the big, bold Aussie Shiraz style, but to my taste it came across as unbalanced and garish. I don’t know what the residual sugar is, but it certainly tasted cloying sweet. And while Kelly says “fresh cherries, with a hint of evergreen,” I’d say cherry cough syrup with menthol. Maybe it will mellow with age, but there are less expensive wines with more to offer in the same style (for example the Wynn’s Coonawarra.) I can’t understand how this wine and the Envoy came from the same winery in the same year. This wine is making me seriously second guess the high score we gave to the Envoy. But Kelly thinks it really was just a lot better. Anyway, we agreed on the score; while I didn’t enjoy it, it was well enough made in the style.

Here's what Kelly had to say. Note that we agreed on the score:

"The nose is predominantly fresh cherries, with a hint of evergreen and spice and also a bit of hotness. There's more fruit on the palate, which is clear and fresh, and a bit sweet, and ends with firm tannins. It is lighter and clearer on the palate than I'd expect from shiraz, which tends to be more rich and spicy. This wine is very difficult to score. It has some very nice flavors, and a decent structure and clarity on the palate, but it also has some objectionable flavours and qualities, such as sweetness and a funny cheapish edge. I'd like to pay under $20, although I could easily see it being as much as $30."

Price: $28.10 (on Sale)
Score: 85
Value: 2 / 5
Region: Australia, Barossa
Grape: Shiraz
Tasted: March 2009
UPC: 9338498004301

Penfolds Bin 128 1998

This wine probably started out as a fairly standard Aussie Shiraz: fruity and peppery and semi-complex, solid and tasty; but the sort of Shiraz you can buy any day at ANBL for around $26 if you choose carefully. But Norman is a bit of a collector. When he finds things he likes - and he likes wine - he squirrels it away for future enjoyment. And so we find ourselves in 2009 enjoying a 1998 Aussie Shiraz.

The nose is lush with ripe blackberries, juniper, tobacco, tar, dried flowers, and a touch of vanilla. The palate confirms the nose, and is long and fullest and the end, which reminds me of the floor of a coniferous forest. This Bin 128 is elegant, fruity, and rustic all at the same time.

I expect that many people would say Australian Shiraz of this style is meant to be drunk young, and that its abundant fruit is its distinguishing and best characteristic. I like those things, but I also like the way the fruit and oak characteristics (which I find can be overpowering in a young Shiraz) develop and mellow to reveal other elements. Penfolds advises peak drinking from 2002 to 2012, and I agree. We would have paid about $30 for this bottle in 2002 or so, but we have also had great success with shorter-term cellaring of $14-26 Shirazes. It can be a bit of a gamble, but if you find an affordable wine you like that seems to have fruit and tannins to support aging, I recommend buying maybe a case and drinking a bottle per year through its drinking window as a worthwhile and interesting experience.

Price: $38.29
Score: 91
Value: 4/5
Region: Coonawara, Australia
Grape: Shiraz
Tasted: March 2009
UPC: 012354071704

Dona Paula Los Cardos Syrah 2007

Here's another review from Iron Chef. It doesn't make me want to try the Los Cardos . . . but the Palo Alto is another question. I had that on my "to try" list and never got around to it - sounds like I should.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Dark to Purple-ish colour. Smells of Meat Pies from Northern NB- Gamey, wild aromas- Deer Meat. Black Ground Pepper. Warm Blueberry Pie with vanilla ice cream. Some stemmy notes. Very similar to the Palo Alto from Chile- less extracted but more fragment. Good tannins and surpringly good acidity. Mahogany Wood favours. Looking back, I should have rated the Palo Alto higher – 87-89 – that’s what you get from perspective. Finish is shorter than I would have guessed from the Nose- more woody and tannic as it sits opening up. First glass was much better than 1 hour in. Overall not the wine that the Palo Alto is …but good. I find “New world’ syrahs to be fun glasses of wine- this is fun- but there is better for cheaper at ANBL.

Price: $17.49
Score: 85
Value: 3.4/5
Region: Lujan De Cuyo – Mendoza – Argentina
Grape: Syrah
Alcool: 14%
UPC: 836950000032

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2001

For a few years this was one of my favourite reasonably priced Aussie Shiraz' so I have a number of vintages in the cellar. We've tried the '98 and '03 within the past few months, and a few nights ago I pulled out an '01.

I served it blind to Kelly, as always and she immediately guessed it was an Aus Shiraz from about 2000 - bang on. But I never confirm until she agrees that she has made an "official guess." So then she changed her mind and "officially" guessed it was Italian (wrong), Chilean (wrong!) or Argentinean (wrong!!). This was great, because I mocked her a lot then and I get to mock her some more now. The best thing about being the cellar master is that no one ever tests me on a blind tasting - (except tancred, but he always brings Australian Shiraz) - so I get to be really smug and mock everyone else.

Anyway, I think that speaks really well for the wine - distinctly Australian, but with enough elegance that it could be mistaken for Italian.

Here are Kelly's tasting notes: "Reserved nose of vanilla up front, and also licorice and blackberries and a hint of spruce. Dark and chewy on the palate, with very firm tannins throughout. Long."

Another interesting thing about this wine is that lately I've been losing my taste for Australian wine, and Australian Shiraz in particular. It's hard to say whether it's my tastes that are changing or the Aussie style. This makes me think that maybe it's Aussie wine itself that is changing. It seems to me that a lot of recent vintage Aus Shiraz that I've had is a caricature of Aus Shiraz, with the fruit and oak taken over the top. This Jacob's Creek reminded me of how Australia made it's reputation.

Price: Approx $27
Score: 91
Value: 4/5
Region: Australia
Grape: Shiraz
Tasted: Jan 2009
UPC: No longer available.

St Hallett Faith Shiraz 2004

Here's a review from Luke (PS - Luke, about the delay in putting it up as a separate post):

In preparation for my wine test in January, I decided to buy 20-some bottles of wine, mostly single varital, and put them in a box. For the past 3 days, I have been tasting one or two blind, making notes, and studying the region while having a glass. (And taking the leftovers to work and testing other people in my course...) I put some wines I had in the mystery box, bringing the total to about 30.

So far so good. I do have a "university exam" coming up on Tuesday, but studying wine is so much more enjoyable. I think it may be the wine...

Today I had Jaclyn pour me a random bottle at 12:30. I may have been because it was so early in the day, but my senses were either working very well or this was a great wine.

Before I even tasted, I wanted to say Australian Shiraz. The deep garnet core and the way it stuck to the glass looked familiar. The nose was very pronounced - dark fruit - cerries, plum, and white pepper. Not too heavily oaked. Very nice.

On the palate, medium body, soft tannin, and a very long finish. Lots of fruit and spice. I was very impressed by this wine. Greath depth and length. My conclusion was South Australian Shiraz, 2004.

Price $27.99
Value: 4.5/5
Score: 91
Region: Australia, Barossa
Grape: Shiraz
UPC #9316920000084

BTW - this week's tastings gave me the idea to see if there is are any valuable learning tools on youtube. So far there isn't, except for this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLdfeeXpJYc&feature=related

He says he has allergies, I say he has a coke problem.

Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière 2006

Crozes-Hermitage is an appellation in the northern Rhone. It produces red wines of mostly Syrah, and up to 15% Roussanne and Marsanne, and whites of Roussanne and Marsanne.

We tasted La Matiniere at the Expo and loved it. So we picked up a bottle and drank it at home recently. I think it offers a bit of something for every taste: prominent fruit, as well as noticeable structure and tannins. The nose is mostly plump, soft fruit - plums and berries - with spruce and herbal and floral notes. All of that follows through on the palate, which is also very soft until it finishes with firm tannins. Good length. This wine is not overly complex, but it is very nice and excellent value for the money. It also kept very well in the half-bottle. After a day it had softened a bit, but didn`t seem to have lost much complexity or fruit.

I see from the ANBL product database that there are only about 80 bottles left in the province and hope that we have already picked a few up.

Price: $26.48

Value: 4/5
Score: 91
Region: France, Northern Rhone
Grape: Shiraz / Syrah
Tasted: Dec 2008
UPC: 3380651030630

Rymill Coonawarra Shiraz 2004

Here is a review from Chris MacDonald, ANBL's wine buyer:

"The appearance of this wine was definitely not bright or intense..it was closer to mildly dull and weakly hazy. The aroma was medium in intensity but there was a lot in there...a mix of primary fruit aromas, oak influence, fragrant spice(take your pick!) and some more mature notes on the leather and tobacco side....definitely complex.

The taste revealed its cooler climate roots..good acidity paired with medium soft tannins and the flavour was more on the spicy side than fruity. The finish was long and satisfying."

Price: $25.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 91
Region: Coonawarra, Australia
Tasted: Nov 2008
UPC:9315128981034