Shiraz from Barrosa Valley
This bottle from Wolf Blass offers vibrant purple edge to the color, saturated by ripe Barrosa fruit, the wine is supple and approachable. As side note, I opened the bottle at room temperature, roughly 70º F inside my home. The first sip felt hot, alcoholic and yet bursting with fruit. No wonder, this 2007 iteration had 14.5% alcohol. Simple solution: I lowered the temperature by surrounding the bottle in a cylindrical wine chiller. It’s amazing how a few degrees could make a huge difference while testing wines. Once it reached 66º F I tried it again and sensed right off the bat spicy and herbal aromas of white pepper and rosemary. The 2007 contains 25% fruit sourced from Eden Valley, providing the herbal edge. The wine is framed in medium tannins and finishes with persistent aromas and flavors of raspberries, white pepper and vanillin derived from 18-months aging in new and seasoned French and American oak respectively. I bought this bottle at Stop Wine & Liquors in Pawtucket at $22.00. I was surprised to find a 2007 on the shelf, somewhat unconspicuously between rows of wines. What a find!
Vinopath 