Australian Shiraz

This has a slightly exotic nose, more wild red berry fruited than most Shiraz, with a gamy edge and fresh herbal spice notes adding detail. This is really lovely to smell, showing flashes of olive and meat along with the fruit, which gains a darker profile with air. This is rather lighter bodied on the palate than many Shiraz with a feel and balance that’s more akin to a Bordeaux blend. It is tight and structured, if not overly tannic. Fresh red berries and a touch of blue fruit are wrapped in soft wood spice with flourishes of herbs, adding zip. The oak becomes apparent on the finish, with some sweet cocoa and cedar notes adding detail to a moderately long raspberry finale. This won’t knock you out with power, but it may very well seduce you. 89 pts

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Pretty floral on the nose with green peppercorn spice, jammy red currant fruit, some well-integrated cigar box notes and a little tropical fruit/orange rind. This is very cool, crisp and focused in the mouth. The flavors of currant, boysenberry and plum are fresh and brisk, with very subtle spice, soil and cocoa notes helping to frame the fruit. This is broad in the mouth with small but slightly dry tannins and sufficient acidity, making it an ideal wine for a steak. In fact, it makes me want a steak! The finish is tight and still fresh, but shows a touch more austerity and modest length with licorice and plum skin notes. This is lovely. 89 pts

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A bit unusual on the nose with notes of figs, mint stems, tar, pepper and leathery dried cherry fruit. This is wide open on the palate with a rich savory layer of flavors laying above a base of rather bright red fruit, red currants and wild raspberries. The flavors of herbs, leather, dried baking spices and white pepper add nice dimension here, though they tend to dominate the meaty, spicy finish. Texturally, this is spot on- bright, clear and supple, though the flavors are tending a touch too much towards the savory for me tonight. 88 pts

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Very pretty on the nose, peppery and ripe with smoke, dried meat and vanilla accents. This is rich but very well balanced in the mouth, showing fine blackberry, tinged with hints of game, black currant and fried bacon. The tannins are very soft lending this an easy drinking quality and the rich fruit pops on the back end before fading gently on the dry, austerely refreshing finish. This wants a steak. Very nicely done. 87 pts

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Black fruit, peppercorn, cedar and some black olive notes greet the nose here. There is a fresh, perfumed quality to the aromatics, supported by black cherry fruit. On the palate, this is easy but not simple- wide open with a lush quality to the fruit, all underpinned by balanced if small-scaled tannins. Nice purity on the palate which shows plummy red fruit, spice and toasty oak notes. Reveals a nice streak of bacon on the back end, which carries through the finish. The fruit shows decent persistence on the moderately long finish, which ends on a note of toasty oak spice. Very well made with broad appeal. 87 pts

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Smoky and subtle, with undercurrents of violet and vanilla supporting slightly minty black cherry and berry fruit. This is bright in the mouth and rather well balanced. A fresh, somewhat fruity character is layered over a bed of persistent cocoa, which is obvious but nicely restrained. Very much in a crowd-pleasing style, but exhibiting a restrained side as well. The fruit shows more wild cherry berry character on the finish, along with some toasty spice notes and a nice vanilla and coconut oak accent. 87 pts

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2010 Red Knot McLaren Vale 14% $10

2009 Shoo Fly Shiraz Australia 14.5% $10

2008 d’Arenberg Love Grass Shiraz 14.5% $17

2008 Peter Lehman Art Series Shiraz 14.3% $15

2009 Artisan Wines Marquee Classic Shiraz 13.9% $11

2010 Black Swan Shiraz 13.5% $6

2010 Fish Eye Shiraz 13.5% $6

Check out the other varietals you can find down under in 5 Australian Wines to Try!