2008 R Wines Southern Belle Shiraz

Whiskey with a splash of water, is just fine, whiskey and Shiraz?, well that’s a bit different. So, therefore, the Southern Belle Shiraz is different from every other wine reviewed on this site, first of all the Shiraz was partially aged for 18 months in American oak barrels that were previously used to age Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Bourbon and secondly the alcohol content is 17.6% (that’s 35.2 proof for you whiskey folks). The wines importer, Dan Phillips, says “that it’s his sincerest hope that this wine offends every sommelier and Frenchman in the world.” The winemaker, Chris Ringland, makes fantastic wines and brings as much skill to the valued priced wines as he does to his more expensive efforts. Fruit forward, tasty wines, that have excellent balance and polish, if anyone can tame the over the top Bourbon barrels and the 17.6% alcohol, it’s Ringland.

The color is a beautiful almost black red with a blood red outer halo. Nice fresh black and blueberries at first and then the nose gets real interesting, leather, molasses, orange peel, petroleum jelly and vanilla. Wow, this is not your usual fruit bomb shiraz, dark fruit upfront and then coffee, toffee, black cherry cough drops, brown sugar, orange zest and oak spice. There are almost as many whiskey flavors as there is wine flavors. This is a rich, nuanced wine, even with the huge alcohol level and the bold whiskey barrel oak, there is a balance to the Southern Belle Shiraz, it feels more expensive than it actually is.

A very unique, must try wine. It may not be your go-to everyday wine, but this Southern Belle is an experience. It would really pair well with a full slab of ribs from your towns best BBQ pit.

2009 Layer Cake Shiraz

100% Shiraz from sourced from vineyards in a variety of McLaren Vale micro-climates in South Eastern, Australia. Layer Cake has been making highly rated value priced wines for the last 5 years. 50% of the Layer Cake Shiraz has been aged, for an unspecified amount of time, in new French oak barrels. The wine is unfined, that means unfiltered, there might be chunks of grape and yeast residue in the bottle. The alcohol content is 14.9%.

A very purple red in color. The nose is very intense blackberry, christmas spice, pencil shavings and cigar store, an impressive nose, I probably could have found more scents, but it was time to start drinking and quit sniffing. A very rich Shiraz, blueberry, tart cherry, dark chocolate, the mid-palate has plum and a healthy wallop of Shiraz spice. The finish is much lighter than the main body of the wine, dark fruit with a touch of spice, anti climatic after all the fireworks going off before.

A big, bold fruit driven Shiraz. You can pair this with beef and pork dishes, but to me this is a wine to be drunk on it’s own, it would be a good choice by the glass or the bottle, if you find it on the wine list at your favorite Watering Hole

2008 Darby And Joan Chardonnay $10

Sourced from vineyards in the Riverland, Barossa Valley and Mclaren Vale regions of South Australia. Very small amounts of Riesling, Semillon and Verdelho were added to the Chardonnay, mainly to improve the acidity. The wine undergoes very little manipulation by the wine makers, wild fermentation, no malolactic fermentation, about 15% of the wine sees some aging in French oak barrels, the remainder is “on lees” for one year. The Darby and Joan Chardonnay was intended to be made as simply as possible, to showcase the Chardonnay grapes and not the winemakers bag of tricks.

Pale straw yellow in color. The nose is light melon, pear, a touch of vanilla and a hint of flowers, all very subtle. The flavor is velvety white peach and pear, a touch of acidity in the back of the palate, and then a decent light pear finish. The various textures and tastes are all well integrated, no one component leaps out.

An every day white wine, that can double as a food wine. Subtle and balanced, should drink well throuugh 2015.

2006 Yangarra Cadenzia GSM $16

A single vineyard, Estate grown GSM (Grenache 68%,Shiraz 27% and Mourvedre 5%). Yangarra is located in the McLaren Vale Region of Australia. The Cadenzia is aged in oak for 18 months, the Shiraz in new French oak, the Grenache and Mourvedre in used barrels or neutral oak. Alcohol content is 15% .

A deep dark clear see thru burgundy red. The nose is black cherry, menthol and milk chocolate. Big lush fruit, bold flavors, blackberry, rich dark chocolate, tart cherry. Really terrific mouth feel, the flavors burst into your mouth. Good soft balanced tannins, you know they are there, but they don’t intrude into the luscious fruit. A long fruit driven finish.

This is a sexy wine, bold, curvaceous and challenging, yet firm and muscular. Drink it with a meal you love or with a person you love or better yet, both.

P.S. interchange love and lust, if needed

2008 Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend $13

This one is a little complicated, Marquis Philips was a collaboration between American Dan Philips and the Australian husband and wife winemaking team of Sparky and Sarah Marquis. Sarah and Sparky broke away to start their own project, Mollydooker (Aussie slang for a lefty) Wines and Dan Philips brought in Chris Ringland to take over the winemaking duties. Chris and Dan’s many wines are produced under the R Wines label, but the Marquis Philips brand had an excellent reputation and a strong following, so those wines continue, but without Sparky and Sarah Marquis. Chris Ringland, though, continues to do right by this line of wines.

The Sarah’s Blend is 63% Shiraz, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, all sourced from the McLaren Vale Region of South Australia. Aged for 12 months in French and American oak, the alcohol content is 16% (in Australia the alcohol content listed on the label only has to be within 1 1/2% of the actual alcohol content, so this could be as high as 17 1/2%). The 2008 vintage received 91 points in Wine advocate and the previous 7 vintages each received at least 90 pts. So this has been a consistently excellent value priced wine.

Deep dark opaque crimson in color. Interesting nose, fig newtons, dark fruit and a light scent of freshly mowed grass. A big mouth feel, viscous, milky, the flavors burst into your mouth. A very rich taste, chocolate milk, raspberry jam, a touch of vanilla and fresh blueberries in cream. The blueberries and cream continue on to the finish and slowly fade away. The tannins are silky smooth and well integrated. A luscious tasting red blend, this is a wine you can sit back and drink with friends or will pair well with beef or pork.

P.S. The animal on the label is a Roogle, which is a combination of the Australian Kangaroo or Roo and the American Eagle.

2008 Big Woop Red Wine $13

A full one liter bottle, makes this Grenache, Shiraz and  Petit Verdot Red blend a Big Woop. Ben Riggs is the winemaker and he also makes our favorite $8 Red Wine, Woop Woop Shiraz. Sourced from McLaren Vale, Riverland and the Limestone Coast of Australia, with a 14.5% alcohol content.

The color is a deep dark red with crimson highlights. The nose is unexpected, pencil shavings, cedar moth balls, light menthol, leather and red fruit. What’s going on with cheap wine, all these aromas used to be the exclusive right of the expensive stuff. The mouth feel is very full, a bit of an explosion of taste. The flavor is ripe dark fruit with a dose of the Shiraz spice at the end. Nice long finish of raspberry iced tea.

The Big Woop Red Blend is a tasty little wine. You don’t expect a whole bunch from something called Big Woop, but this wine delivers beyond expectations.

2006 Razor’s Edge Shiraz – $9

Every time I pick up a valued priced Shiraz, I go on the internet and find that it got 90 plus points from some national wine publication. This McLaren Vale Shiraz is one of Robert Parker’s Best Buy’s of Australia. From what I could find about the Razor’s Edge, it’s made primarily for  American tastes. There is not much information available about how long it is aged in oak, etc.. on the internet for this wine.

The color is your textbook Shiraz, deep, dark, opaque burgundy red. The nose is interesting, it is not all fruit, there is mushroom, earthy notes and dark fruit (that’s the McLaren Vale influence).  The mouth feel is slightly watery, but it does fill your mouth with flavor. Tart cherry juice and chocolate are the main flavors, but not candy sweet, now I see why these wines get 90+ points, who does not like chocolate covered cherries, it’s a very luxurious flavor. The finish is blueberries, it does not last a long time but it is pleasing.

I think I understand why all these inexpensive Australian Shiraz’s get these high grades, they taste great. That’s got to be one of the most important aspects to wine. Australia has a way with the Syrah grape. Lush, tasty wine is almost second nature with Australian Shiraz. Yes, the Razor’s Edge does not have all the layers and complexity of the the best Shiraz, but you can’t argue with “it tastes great”.