Longhop Shiraz 2006

longhop shiraz from australia is a wine i tried some time back at a tasting at my local wine shop. i enjoyed the tasting so much that i bought a bottle to lay down. i opened it up to find exactly what i remembered from the original tasting. beautiful nose of dark fruits, like black cherry, blackberry and blueberry. there are also some tar and earth notes in the nose too. the palate has a nice burst of fruit up front, with black raspberry and black cherry leading the way. more nice earth flavors and some coffee and smokey tar on the palate too. this lovely red sells for about $15. try it with pizza, you won't be disappointed.

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2009

south african reds are interesting, to say the least. this one has been getting quite a bit of press lately. i tasted this some time back at my local wine store and got the opportunity to revisit it recently. this is not your typical shiraz. this is a semi-sweet red that begs for a cheeseburger or a pizza. the nose has lots of blueberry, blackberry and a little chocolate. because this wine spends little time in oak (30% of the wine spends 5 months in american oak) the palate is extremely fruity. fruit bomb comes to mind. lots of red raspberries, juicy blackberries and hints of chocolate. jammy! jam jar is just that, a jam jar full of fruit flavors. looking for a way to get into red wines? this might serve you well. sells for about $10.

Wishing Tree Shiraz 2006

from western australia, this shiraz sells for about $12. the nose is very fruity with red and black fruits and some typical aussie pepper and spice notes. nice and juicy on the palate with black raspberry and black pepper leading the way. tannins were silky and the finish was medium in length. a good food wine that you could grill some shrimp and enjoy with. also would work with burgers or pizza. very much what you would expect from an australian shiraz.

Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz 2002

i tried this shiraz recently with the comely brunette. we were enjoying some italian food and needed a wine to stand up to the spicing of the food. this worked quite well. the nose was bramble fruits of blackberry and raspberry with black pepper and a little clove. on the palate, a nice burst of fruit with flavors of blackberry and black pepper. i got some anise and more of the clove in the finish. very interesting and complex wine. sells for about $22. try it with italian food or a nice steak or hearty stew.

Layer Cake Shiraz 2006

i purchased this wine back in november of 2007 and have had it laying in the cellar since that time. the weather outside was snowy and i wanted to just sit back and look outside watching the snow fall while i sipped a nice red wine. this one filled the need perfectly. the nose had a very pronounced chocolate note after it sat in the glass for a while, along with blackberry and spice. alcohol level was about 15% and you got that heat from the nose as well. the palate was much better and more complex after the wine opened up with time in the glass. raspberries and chocolate notes were very pronounced. this is a full, juicy, jammy red. lots of subtle tobacco and spice notes. velvet mouth feel with a long finish. sells for about $16-20 depending on where you shop. good red meat wine but i enjoyed this by itself.

Hardy's 2008 Shiraz

after a nice leap to the higher end side it is back to reality and the less expensive wine. i needed a red that i could enjoy and had not tried anything from the hardy's line of boxed wines. i read a few decent reviews in wine magazines about their wines and decided to give it a try. the nose was immediately full of fruit, with red raspberry and black cherry coming through. after a bit i started to get a little more spice notes, mostly cinnamon. on the palate, a very balanced fruit forward, jammy wine, with flavors of plums and black cherries, followed by pepper and after opening up, i got some really nice chocolate notes on the finish. this is not a complex wine. very easy drinking slightly tannic red. good wine for your friday night pizza or winter stew. sells for about $16 (that's the equivalent of $4 a bottle. a bargain you may not want to pass up for an every day red).

Small Gully Robert's Shiraz 2004

tried this interesting shiraz from australia. pretty wine. aromas of blueberries, pepper, and some interesting pencil shaving notes that also carried over into the palate. flavors of blueberry, black raspberry, the pencil shavings, leather and spicy pepper all in a well balanced, long finish. very full mouth feel, but not so bold and overpowering that your taste buds are overwhelmed. try this with a nice steak or stew, or just sit back in front of a fire place and enjoy it on its own. sells for about $16…but two and lay one for a few years, you won't be disappointed.

Rex-Goliath Shiraz

looking for a nice everyday red? try this fruit forward shiraz from california. i previously tried the pinot noir and enjoyed it. so i decided to give the shiraz a try. the nose was full of fruit, with plums and blackberries. also picked up hints of spice and a little earth. the taste was very fruit forward, with black cherry leading the way. got some nice bramble fruit notes as well, followed by subtle black pepper and anise notes. this wine sells for about $7 at my local grocer and i enjoyed it with pizza, which it complemented quite well. i could see this as a go to red when you are on a tight budget as it would work with many different foods. nothing pretentious. just a nice drinkable red.

Walnut Crest 2003 Shiraz

on the low priced search once again, i picked up this bottle of chilean shiraz for about $4.50 at the local grocery store. nice price, but would it pass the taste test? the nose was actually very nice with plums and a nice jammy aroma, hints of pepper and spice and a little blackberry thrown in. good start. i actually let the glass sit for a while, came back and smelled again to see if it had changed. everything was still there so it was time for the tasting. jammy black cherry and plums right away with spicy pepper notes thrown in. i got some slight earthy flavor and hints of leather as well. tannins were a bit light and the finish was medium length. overall this one was pretty good for the price. nothing too complex, but very drinkable. try it with your friday night pizza or grilled burgers.

Yalumba "The Octavious" Barossa Shiraz 2002

i tried this shiraz at a tasting and held off writing about it until i could find the words to describe it. i am still not sure i will do it justice, but here goes. wow. the nose was blackberry, plums, figs and chocolate with spice and pepper notes mixed in. huge, beautiful nose. i have smelled wines that were big on the nose and then disappointed with the taste. not this wine! the palate was exceptional, with flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, some roasted meat flavor, and spice notes. a big, bold wine that was well balanced with medium tannins and a long finish. wow again. and you will have to pay for the wow factor as this sells for $85. thankfully, i was able to try this at a tasting. not quite in the budget, but i was glad i got the opportunity to try it. if you can afford this wine, buy it and lay it down for a special occasion. you won't be disappointed.

Woop Woop Shiraz 2007

another wine i tasted at a recent pouring, woop woop shiraz is not only fun to say, it is enjoyable to taste as well. nose is blackberries and some nice spicy notes. the taste was very full bodied with flavors of black cherry, licorice, and some dark chocolate coming through. a bit tannic at first, the wine opened up nicely to reveal some nice balance and flavor. sells for about $12, and very well worth the price for this wine.

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2006

back down under to australia for this beauty of a shiraz. black cherry and black raspberry nose, with hints of graphite and smoke. the flavor was cherry and strawberry with spicy pepper notes intermingled throughout. very well balanced tannins and flavors and a beautiful long finish. i was very impressed with this wine which will go well with grilled meats or even pasta dishes. sells for about $17. buy two bottles to lay one down for a year and be impressed all over again.

Earthworks Shiraz 2006

this australian was recommended by someone and i was able to try it at a tasting before buying. the nose was certainly interesting, with blueberries, smoke aromas and some bacon notes coming through. the taste was a bit underwhelming, which surprised me since the nose was so nice and big. bad bottle maybe? i got some black cherry flavors and a little spice, but the wine had no finish. it just was there and gone. i am at a loss to explain it. i would consider trying a different bottle because i loved the nose on this wine. at a price of $12-14, it could be a really good wine, but i am reluctant to try it again. and this area of australia, the barossa valley, produces some excellent wines.

Oxford Landing Shiraz 2007

at a recent tasting i tried this lower priced australian shiraz ($8). if you are looking for a nice bargain priced shiraz, look no further than this. the nose was plums, some chocolate and a little anise. the palate was raspberry, cherry, licorice and the traditional australian shiraz flavor of black pepper. the aussie red had medium tannins that softened nicely with some swirling followed by a nice long finish. very nice fruit forward wine which will go well with barbecued meats or burgers from the grill.

Mon Ami 2004 California Shiraz

i got this wine as a gift from a friend. the nose was strawberry and blackberry with a bit of pepper. the taste was mostly black cherry but i got a sour note as well that i still haven't been able to wrap my head around. like sour cherry but something else. whatever it was, the flavor was not that great. very average wine. it sells for about $20 and for an ohio wine (lake erie area) it is probably a bit over priced. and for that amount of money you can find a much nicer shiraz.

Lindeman's South Africa Shiraz 2005

i picked up a bottle of this shiraz recently at my local grocery store (Price was a big factor as it sells for about $7). south africa is one of those wine producers that most people don't pay much attention to. i have tried a few and haven't been disappointed yet. that trend continues with this wine. the nose was earthy and loaded with cherry and raspberry. the palate is plums and earth and i also got a really interesting tar like note. for the price this is really a nice shiraz. a bit different than the aussie varieties, not as much in the peppery, spicy arena. give this one a try and tell me what you think.

Hardy's 2006 Shiraz

here is a nice australian shiraz in the under $10 price range. not a big bold shiraz, but a more fruit forward, friendly shiraz. the nose was raspberries and plums. i also got some pepper aromas (an australian shiraz staple in the aroma department) and a cordial/chocolate smell. on the palate, a fruity burst of blackberry and plum, with red licorice and chocolate flavors coming through as well. a slightly spicy finish which was a bit short to me. this is a drink now wine that will go with red meats and sells for about $7. a fun red wine that is not pretentious and would make a nice every day wine.

Cimicky 2005 Trumps Barossa Valley Shiraz

i purchased this some time ago and had it laying in the cellar. i have been tasting quite a few under $10 wines lately so i decided to step up a bit and try this one. the nose was plums and blackberries, with typical australian shiraz pepper notes. the taste was big and bold, with raspberries and pepper. i also picked up some anise and tobacco flavors. a very complex wine that did not disappoint. sells for about $18 and is worth buying a second bottle to lay down for the future, which will only make this one even better. if you like big, bold reds, this is a must try.

Strong Arms 2006 Shiraz

i picked up this australian shiraz at our local wine merchant back in the summer. we had tried it at one of their tasting, enjoyed it and bought a bottle to lay for a bit. a very typical aussie shiraz. the nose was blueberry, pepper and spice, with hints of cedar. the taste was full of fruit and spice, with blackberry and cherry flavors and a black pepper finish. soft to medium tannins and a nice long finish. and at the nice price of about $11, worth a second try with maybe more time in the bottle to see what aging will do. strong arms has been bottled with 6 different but similarly themed labels.

Bota Box 2005 Shiraz

for all you bargain hunters out there, here is a nice little wine to try. box wines are starting to get a little more respect, as i have seen them mentioned in both wine enthusiast and wine spectator magazines. the nose was ripe fruit. plums and red berries. got a little spicy pepper note as well. the taste was very fruit forward, a bit thin, but still not bad. cherry and blackberry flavors followed by chocolate. this one would be nice to keep around for those every day meals, like burgers or italian fare. bota box shiraz sells for about $16 a box, which is four bottles of wine. that's about $4 a bottle.