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My Australian Shiraz tastings are always very popular and after tasting this batch of premium wines, it’s easy to see why. They were an attractive group and no doubt if we tasted the same wines next year, in the same circumstances, the tasting notes would be similar. Although these are “premium” wines and, as such, better grapes will have been used and more expensive winemaking techniques, they are still branded wines, designed to be the same, year on year.
We had a slight anomaly. The most expensive wine, by quite a margin, was the worst, by quite a margin. This is all the more strange because it was from Marks & Spencer, who we’ve grown to rely on for good quality, reliable and generally interesting wines.
However, our favourite wine, d’Arenberg, The Footbolt Shiraz 2003, which is £8.99 from Waitrose was delicious. It smelt as ripe black cherries would in a pan with a vanilla pod. The taste was savoury and herbal and it felt smooth, but with some tannic structure.
St Hallett, Faith Barossa Shiraz 2003, at £7.99 from the Co-op had a whiff of drains to begin with, courtesy of the screwcap, but this lifted to give blackcurrant and mint. The taste was great – liquorice, fresh acidity and spicy oak that felt American to me. There seemed to be some Cabernet in there as well, which is perfectly legal in Aus.
Majestic sent “2 Up” Shiraz 2005, which is £6.99/5.99 if you buy 2+ and smelt of raw blackcurrant and also pink shrimps, which put us off slightly. However, the taste was meaty and peppery, in a Marmite sort of way. Interestingly, the top three were all 14.5% but had strong enough flavours and body to cover this up, so that we didn’t feel like fire breathers.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Barossa Shiraz 2004, which is £7.99, is a good, average wine. In my opinion, the TTD range, more than any other supermarket “better” range, actually has a value. I have rarely been disappointed and often quite delighted. This one was a reasonable wine, typical and creditable without being particularly inspiring.
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz 2004, is £7.99 from Somerfield, is widely available, and always seems to be reduced in price somewhere. You’ve just missed it being £5 in Asda and £5.98 in Tesco, and it’s now £5.98 in Asda until 28th. It smells attractively of floor polish in a medicinal way and is fruity and oaky, with a drier finish than many of the wines, which we liked.
Morrisons “The Best” range has yet to impress me greatly and, of course, saying something is the best is asking for criticism. This one, at £7.55, didn’t smell much and was smooth and easy in the mouth. It had little definition or interest.
Tesco’s Finest, Howcroft Vineyard at £7.99 smelt nastily of sulphur and drains, which evolved into burnt toast over the evening. The taste was pleasant enough, but drinking whilst holding your nose is clumsy and unattractive.
As mentioned before, The Gum Shiraz, from M&S is £12.99 and tasted cheap and boring. The smell reminded us of a cheap vanilla-scented candle and it was thin and astringent in the mouth.