Shiraz
This wine is 100% Shiraz, from the Barossa Valley in Australia,
and is made by Dan Standish. It has had some high praise, receiving 90+
scores from three separate wine publications. This Shiraz has an alcohol
level of 14.5%, which sounds high, but isn’t bad for an Aussie red. My
personal preference and taste has moved away from the typical, over extracted
fruit bomb from Australia, but I feel that this bottle dispels that stereotype.
I popped the top on a 2006 Massena “The Eleventh Hour” Shiraz. The
“Eleventh Hour” moniker comes from when they started the vineyard and
the plot of land was to be bulldozed in efforts by the Australian government,
who were paying land owners, to pull up Shiraz vines in favor of the more
profitable Chardonnay varietal. Obviously, they were pretty close to
moving ahead with bulldozing the land, as is indicated by the name of this
Shiraz.
On the nose: Cinnamon Toast Crunch®. Hibiscus. Nilla wafers
with a little touch of cracked black pepper on top. Very
Rhone-like. Light a fire of oak wood in the fireplace in your living room
and take a sniff. Blood/ink color.
Palate: Nice, not too hot. Alcohol is in check. The
fruit comes out of the gate like the 1977 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Pumping
Iron, with pectoral muscles bulging. 20+ second finish, structure to last
5-7 years. Keeps your interest with the red berry fruit and has a great
mid-palate. If tasted blind, would be hard pressed to tell this is Aussie –
Côte-Rôtie maybe.
Rating Scale (out of 5 +):
+++½
Price: $27
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