The history of shiraz in Australia is, as wine goes, not very long. James Busby, an immigrant to Australia from England, brought Spanish and French vines over to Australia in 1831. Some of the vines were planted in the Sydney Botanical Gardens and later that decade some vines were imported to southern Australia, a region that today produces the majority of Australia's wine. I've had Yellow Tail shiraz before (as well as their chardonnay) and while I don't care for white wine, I found their shiraz to be OK. But most of the wines I drink / review are from Europe, so I was interested in delving right into a New World vintage.
So after pouring a splash out, recorking the bottle, volatizing it, and then pouring out my glass, I let it sit for 10 minutes and then gave it a shot. This was the best bottle of shiraz I have had in my life - it was deep and plummy but not overly tart or dry. The wine was fruity, but did not have the same fruit-forward punch that some of the jammier wines have (I'm looking at you, Grenache.) That's not to say I don't LIKE those kinds, but I wouldn't look for that in a shiraz. The nose wasn't sharp at all but very nuanced; plum was the biggest note I could identify. Plum and berry flavors play a huge role in this wine. It was peppery and ripe but wasn't rough either on the initial glass or on the succeeding four glasses.
The color was positively purple.
The finish was smooth but the flavors did linger; I actually like that in this wine. It's a wine I will definitely seek out again and would pair very well with heavier dishes...I had mine with a very mild Indian meal of lamb saag, garlic naan, and jasmine rice. Hats off once again to Charles for recommending a winner - I believe this wine cost $15 for the bottle and was definitely worth it!
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