St Hallett Rosedale Shiraz 2008

Wine: St Hallett Barossa Rosedale Vinyard
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2008
Price: unknown (google says around $17)
Date: 9/05/2011
Reason for purchase: Birthday gift

Review: I've seen this at a few bottle shops before, and I think they sell for around the $15-18 mark. After only cellaring it for 2 months, and given it was free, I thought it would be ok to crack it open and see what it's like.

The first taste is slightly acidic, but fruity and full bodied. There is a solid spicy Shiraz flavour, something you would expect from the Barossa region. The mouth feel is dry but doesn't leave you clicking your tongue. There is a definite lack of age, possibly no oak even which is hard to work out because there is no mention of the production method on the label. Of course not leaving it for 3-5 years didn't help, but at this price I don't think it has serious cellaring potential anyway.

Overall this is an average red, nothing special, but certainly better than some of the sub $10 rubbish. I'm not quite sure I would pay retail price for it though, and based on that it doesn't get any higher than a 7.

Rating: 7/10 -DF-

Foggo The Wild Thing Shiraz 2005

Wine: Foggo The Wild Thing
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2005
Price: $13.33
Date: 27/02/2011
Reason for purchase: Part of the birthday party wine selection.

Review: Well another Foggo gem won its way onto my party wine list, and this one could well become a staple. It is a typical Foggo Shiraz, well aged and well rounded.

There is typical McLaren Vale pepper, with great fruit flavour that has mellowed nicely with the benefits of 5 years on oak. I'm told this one can last the distance in the bottle, so I might need to keep a couple for the long haul and see how it goes.

Definitely up there with wines like the Oomoo as the perfect every day red. Grab a case when you're next at the 'vale.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

De Vito Molo Ridge Shiraz 2002

Wine: De Vito Molo Ridge
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2002
Price: unknown
Date: 31/03/2011
Reason for purchase: Sitting in my cellar for so long I can't remember... likely a gift.

Review: Well off I went to a dinner party with friends thinking its about time I started drinking some of my well cellared bottles. After all there is no point collecting wine if you don't one day enjoy it. I picked this 2002 off the shelf (one of the oldest in my collection) and had high hopes.

Firstly this is a Riverland Shiraz, Waikerie to be exact. I've never had any wines from there, so had no idea what to expect. The next thing is the age - 2002 - 9 years. This should be special, given most bottles in my collecting are lucky to last a year on the shelf.

After a good 30 minutes of breathing time, the first pour was a deep rich red that sat thick in the glass. The first sip was full of rich, syrupy cherries, a light pepper and liqueur finish. It was extremely smooth and had a lovely lingering finish. My guess is the aging had a big impact on the great flavour.

This is a fantastic Shiraz that I want to drink again. Better than some of the $50-80 premiums from the big labels, but then again, they're not usually 9 years old. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10 -DF-

Hardys The Riddle Shiraz Cabernet 2009

Wine: Hardys The Riddle
Type: Shiraz Cabernet
Year: 2009
Price: $24 (restaurant price)
Date: 27/10/2010
Reason for purchase: Cheap dinner wine.

Review: This can be summed up quite neatly as uninspiring. Quite a negative start I know, but it's not all bad news.

Hardys have captured the ultimate cheap drinking wine here without any fanfare. It is fruity, medium weight and very palatable without any funny sulphide aftertaste.

This is the ultimate of average, yet I can't stop drinking it. If you're a fan of Merlot this is your bag, if you're a fan of cheap this is you're bag. Well done Hardys, not bad at all.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Hardy's Oomoo Shiraz 2006

Wine: Hardy's Oomoo
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2006
Price: $4.15 (retail $15.00)
Date: 5/03/2010
Reason for purchase: Wine club from work had an offer too good to refuse!

Review: This stuff is meant to be about $15 per bottle, so at this price it was impossible to turn down a case.

Price aside, this is a fairly easy drinking Shiraz from one of SA's largest wineries. You kind of expect it to be consistent and non-threatening, and lacking any pizazz. Given those assumptions, it delivers exactly that.

The smell out of the glass is rich and fruity, and has great potential for the first sip. Initial taste is dark and slightly peppery, just like you would expect from a McLaren Vale Shiraz, and keeps going with a nice aftertaste.

It isn't as heavy as it could be and I'm not sure how much it will develop in the bottle, given its price. However this is a standout table wine when you factor in the bargain basement price. If I were to pay full retail for it I might be a bit disappointed, however I am more than happy to keep buying case after case at this price and have it at the ready for any meal.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

d'Arenberg Stump Jump GSM 2007

Wine: d'Arenberg Stump Jump
Type: Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
Year: 2007
Price: $9 (approx)
Date: 24/01/2010
Reason for purchase: left over from party revellers

Review: This is my first review of one of the great d'arry wines.

The initial look and taste is very dark, thick and heavy. Something that is very inviting in a big, bold McLaren Vale wine.

First taste gives a really rich port or brandy flavour, that slowly mellows out and leaves without fuss. The smell gives the same impression.

There is a definate Shiraz burst at the start, but either the Grenache or Mourvedre settle it down and give it a clean finish.

The only thing that might be lacking is a longer Shiraz aftertaste. However that could be remedied with a couple of years in the cellar. Perhaps I'll put one away to test.

Overall I'm quite pleased with this entry level darry wine. I may even put it up against The Footbolt and see how it goes.

Given it's price and great taste, this wine is highly recommend.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Shiraz Cabernet 2008

Wine: Penfolds Rawsons Retreat
Type: Shiraz Cabernet
Year: 2008
Price: $5.40
Date: 31/07/2009
Reason for purchase: Number 5 on the May half dozen.

Review: At this price there can be no expectations. But it is seriously hard to fault once you keep this in mind.

There is a nice fruity start, which moves to a quite mellow aftertaste. There are no unpleasant moments, which you'll find in similar wines of this price.

The only criticism would be a slight sharpness when you first taste. Not really acidic, but most likely its lack of age. Hard to tell if a wine of this price would mature over time in the bottle, or whether its mellow flavours were bottled that way to help it drink straight away.

No matter its faults, this is quite a nice drop, which is accentuated by its bargain basement price. I might buy another bottle to try soon, and if it matches my previous expectations, might be worth buying a case to keep the weekday table supplied.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Pauletts Polish Hill River Shiraz 2005

Wine: Pauletts Polish Hill River
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2005
Price: $19.00
Date: 4/11/2009
Reason for purchase: I decided that drinking was more fun than going to the gym

Review: As recommended by the bottle shop guy, this apparently is the best value shiraz under 20 bucks. I'm always a fan of the Clare Valley shiraz, so easily handed over (not my) $20.

Given it's had a bit of aging, it is a nicely rounded shiraz that has mellowed out enough to be quite easy to drink. The bottle actually has "the complexity of oak" written, which is oddly true. I don't normally believe what the bottle has on it, but this one really has a nice oak flavour. Right on the money!

If your a fan of shiraz, this one is certainly recommend.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-