Marquis Phillips Sarah's Blend 2007

at a recent wine tasting i was told this was worth a try. at $14, i said, why not. this is a wine that is made in australia in collaboration with american wine maker dan phillips. the blend is 60% shiraz, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 5% cabernet franc from mclaren vale vineyards. the nose is big and jammy with plums, spice, almond and chocolate aromas. the taste was black currant and a bit warm with a 15% alcohol content, which was a bit of a distraction to the flavor. i got some spicy notes and struggled a bit with the tannins at first as they were a bit bold as well. after letting the wine sit for a while in the glass, the nose mellowed and i got more chocolate aromas. the palate also softened up and there was a little more flavor coming through, with black pepper and dark chocolate the predominant flavors. overall not a bad red blend but it requires decanting and patience.