Reviewed: 20 March 2012
We may well have come across the best value wine in Australia right now. The Whiz Bang shiraz from 2010 is, well, Whiz Bang. A brilliantly put together wine that will sell for less than $15. The packaging is pretty smart too.
Speaking of smart, the Brown Brothers Patricia shiraz from 2008 is a pretty special wine. Delicious now, but sure to age for many years.
Finally, at the bargain basement level, the Oxford Landing shiraz 2011 is another great buy if you are after a cheap and cheery everyday red and the new packaging is very smart. It is hard to believe that this will sell for as little as $7 per bottle.
Reviewed
Brown Brothers – Shiraz – Patricia – 2008 (18 – 18.5). A lovely wine that is redolent of floral, fragrant fruit. Whilst the wine is pretty and refined, the flavours really build on the finish. Cherry, plum, pepper, licorice, spice and quality (chocolate) oak all complement each other and build with air. The length and textural components are outstanding. This is a very serious wine that deserves ten – fifteen years in the cellar, yet is totally delicious today. Clearly the best wine in the tasting, it gets a gold medal from me!
Cape Mentelle – Shiraz – 2010 (17.5-18). This took me by surprise. The nose is subdued and refined, but it was in the mouth that this really impressed. Lovely, perfectly weighted fruit that has been very well handled. The flavours kept going and evolving with pepper and very subtle spice. Won’t appeal to everyone, but worth trying.
Grant Burge – Shiraz – Miamba – 2010 (17.6+). Quite closed initially, but shows plenty of pepper and lovely spicy fruit with a bit of air. This is very fine and subtle at the moment, though the finish admirably displays the quality fruit and winemaking. Very long, this is an elegant wine that will age very well. The quality oak compliments the fruit beautifully.
Whiz Bang – Shiraz – 2010 (17.5). Dense and rich, with coffee and chocolate over vanillin oak characters. There is a lot to like here, as everything is up-front and approachable. Without the absolute quality and elegance of the best here, this is very good short term drinking. The palate has chocolate fruit, licorice and spice (from the oak?) and fine tannins which confer the wine a lovely mouth-feel. This will take a few years in the bottle, but it is delicious right now. At $15 RRP (though you should be able to pick it up for less), this would have to be one of the best buys available in Australia.
Juniper Crossing – Shiraz – 2009 (17.2). Superb wine here. There is plenty of plump, ripe fruit on the nose, with some complexity and refinement. The palate follows the theme, with silky tannins over beautifully weighted, dense, ripe fruit. Seductive now, but the wine will benefit from a few years in the cellar to allow the oak to integrate a little more.
Streicker – Shiraz – Bridgeland Block – 2009 (17.2). Bright fruit that has hints of candy, suggesting the fruit was fully ripe for this wine. Chocolate fruit notes over firm, though refined, tannins, with good length and a silky finish. Hints of licorice round out an excellent wine to drink in the short to medium term.
Kangarilla Road – Shiraz – Devils Whiskers – 2009 (17). A lovely fresh wine that has vibrant, uncomplicated fruit, with enough stuffing to make the finish satisfying. Will probably get higher points in a few years.
Yalumba – Shiraz – Organic – 2011 (17). Lighter style that had solid support from the panel. If organic is your thing, then this is your wine!
Oxford Landing Estate – Shiraz – 2011 (16.5). Interesting nose that combines ripe red plum and slightly dusty notes. I like it. Savoury and spicy, with a fairly tight, though somewhat lean fruit core. Very good length for a wine of this price. Not complex, but satisfying. After a couple of days on the tasting bench, the juicy fruit really shone. RRP $9 but will sell for less, this is tremendous value!
Hay Shed Hill – Shiraz – Pitchfork – 2010 (16.3). A correct wine that has plump fruit, but not a lot of depth. Easy to drink and a good mid week wine.