Mollydooker - The Boxer - 2006

The Boxer is the wine from Mollydooker that I first noticed. The 2005 vintage was declared by many to be one of the best wine values in the world for wines in the $20 price range. Most impressive to me was the high quality of that wine for one made in such large quantities. Mollydooker's 2006 vintage has been on shelves for awhile now. I just had the opportunity to sample the new vintage of The Boxer. Once again this is a tremendous bargain for those who are fans of big, bold Australian Shiraz.

The nose of The Boxer has significant vanilla notes and plum fruit characteristics. The first sips reveals gobs of blackberry and chocolate notes. The mid palate continues the berry, chocolate and plum themes while also featuring significant spice notes. The finish is long and opulent with mocha notes featuring prominently to the very end.

The Boxer is incredibly smooth, big, rich and mouth-filling throughout. As with the 2005 vintage this wine is again a great value. Truth be told I think the 2006 version of The Boxer is better than the 2005 version was. It strikes me as even bolder and more self-indulgent. As big and bold as this wine is it's possible to enjoy it on it's own. But for an even better experience pair it with a steak.

Mollydooker wines offers free shipping through their website to anyone ordering a case of wine. They also offer a very reasonably priced deal ($24) to ship a case 2 day air. U.S. orders are fulfilled from their offices in Napa.

Bottom Line: if you like big, in your face Australian Shiraz, you should try The Boxer. For a price of $20, it delivers.

Coming Tomorrow: Another Shiraz from Mollydooker: Blue Eyed Boy 

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Brutocao Cellars - 2004 Syrah - Feliz Vineyard Select

One of the things that struck me when I first tasted Brutocao Cellars wines and has continued to impress me as I have tasted through a number of selections this week is their approach to each varietal or blend of varietals. It's apparent drinking their wines that they strive to make them in a style true to each grapes origin. In the case of the Syrah I'm looking at today it's ancestral home is of course the Rhone. Wines from there tend to be better balanced and more food friendly than Syrahs from other regions. A mere 690 cases of this vineyard select 2004 Syrah was bottled. The retail price for this wine is $25. It was bottled unfiltered.

Brutocao Cellars 2004 Syrah has an immense nose of raspberry, cedar and spice which is underscored by hints of bacon fat. A tremendous amount of white pepper tingles the tongue as soon as you take the first sip and you're hit with that and more berry fruit. That's followed by copious smoky notes that linger lavishly through the finish which also features mocha notes and more dark berry fruit accented by a hint of plum.

There is good acidity present in this wine. As with each of the Brutocao Cellars releases I've sampled it's an impeccably well balanced wine meant for complementing a meal. The use of oak is detectable but well in check. It never takes attention away from the fruit. That said, the Brutocao Cellars Syrah is a a pretty big, mouthfilling wine that packs a wallop in terms of flavor.

The Brutocao Cellars wines are elegant enough for a special occassion, yet priced reasonably enough that you don't need to wait for a special occassion to bust one open.

Coming Tomorrow: Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel Port 

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Smidge Wines - The Adamo - 2005

One of the things Smidge Wines has stated they set out to do is make wines that have a sense of place. One of the key things with that is finding the right grapes for each area. It certainly makes sense then that they make a  Barossa Valley Shiraz. Many fine wines have emerged from Barossa, but Shiraz is king there. 300 Cases of the 2005 Adamo were made. 20% of it spent a year in new French oak. The remainder was aged in 2-4 year old oak. Adamo was bottled unfiltered.

Blackberry and spice lead the nose with leather and cedar notes present but far more subtle at first. The first sip of Adamo reveals lush, rich fruit that has a slight undercurrent of tartness. The tartness subsides as the wine breathes. The mid-palate has dark plum and mocha characteristics accompanied by copious spice notes. The finish, which is substantial in length has cherry and spice notes along with additional mocha that lingers. For a wine with very big fruit upfront Adamo is balanced by a terrific acidity. This wine would go perfectly with a pulled pork sandwich. Failing that, grilled meats in general would be a great match. In fact with Easter coming up, this is a great choice for anyone serving Lamb.

The bottom line is that Adamo is big, rich, opulent and expressive. Smidge Wines has created a terrific expression of Barossa Valley Shiraz. The retail price is $35, and it's well worth that. I'd expect this wine has at least 5 years of enjoyable drink-ability ahead of it.

The Donald, a Barossa Valley Zinfandel is next from Smidge Wines  

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Santa Ema - 2003 Syrah

Santa Ema is a Chilean Winery founded by Italian immigrants. Best known for some of their value priced wines, they also make some selections in premium price ranges. The 2003 Santa Ema Syrah is amongst their value priced offerings. Retail is around $11 but it can generally be found in the $8 price range.

Deep garnet in color, this wine offers spice, earthiness and a bouquet of blueberries on the nose. The first sip reveals more dark berry fruit, loads of pepper and soft, ripe tannins, all which carry through the mid-palate. The finish features chocolate and subtle leather notes. There is some noticeable oak but it's use was judicious as it doesn't get in the way of the fruit. The Santa Ema Syrah is well balanced with appropriate acidity. This wine is a perfect match for pizza or a dish of pasta. It's bound to go nicely with dark chocolate as well.

Considering the relatively low price tag, this wine is a nice bargain. It delivers more varietal character than is often found at this price range, as well as a decent amount of complexity. That said it's surely not intended for long term aging. Drink this one up before the calender hits 2009.

Coming Next Week: A Look at 6 current releases from Sonoma's Schug Winery.

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This New Years Eve Celebrate with Sparkling Shiraz

Most of us are conditioned to drink Champagne and other sparkling wines to highlight a celebration. The truth is that many sparklers work well with food. Additionally sparkling wine adds an element of fun that livens up any meal from breakfast through dinner. Australia tend to do things their own way. So it should be no surprise that many of the sparkling wines emanating from down under are Shiraz based. Among other things, they do Shiraz very well so this is a good thing. I just previewed a handful of Aussie sparklers and the two below were my favorites.

Leconfield 2004 Sparkling Shiraz - The nose give off a huge hit of crushed blackberry. The first sip reveals some spice notes. The mid palate has strong plum pudding flavors. This is accompanied by an undertone of brioche that hangs gently though the crisp, dry finish. Dark berry notes appear throughout and provide rich, mouth filling flavors. This wine is dry and works very well with food. I had it with roast pork loin and found it to be a splendid match. That said it sipped well on it's own. The production on the Leconfield was 750 cases. Well worth seeking out Leconfield Coonawarra Estate has been around since 1974. If this sparkling Shiraz is any indication of the quality they are putting out I'd suggest looking into their other releases as well.

Ultihorne "Flamma" Sparkling Shiraz - This ones opens with a heady aroma that just envelops your nose, making you want to dive into the glass it's so inviting. The first sip reveals mulled spice flavors and fruit that is a bit brighter than the Leconfield. The mid palate has a touch of white pepper that floats on the tongue. Raspberry, plum and spice notes emerge throughout. The finish most prominently features chocolate and biscuit notes. This wine is incredibly refreshing and each sips in an invitation to go back for more. This is also a great wine with food. I enjoyed it immensely with roasted potatoes and a rotisserie chicken. Flamma also works well on it's own as there's a lot going in this wine and it's all very enjoyable. Don't hesitate to drink it with dessert either, all that dark fruit should pair nicely with dark chocolate. Just 450 cases of this wine were produced. It's worth taking the time to find.

Both of these sparkling wines will make festive, elegant additions to your celebration on New Years Eve. But more than that these wines are proof that Sparklers should not be reserved only for special occasions. Drink them anytime.

Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery

Napa and Sonoma get a lot of attention for producing great wines. Much of it is deserved, but there are several areas in California that aren't as well known yet, also producing noteworthy wines. One of those regions is Lake County California. Many well known wineries from outside Lake County have been sourcing fruit there for years. Now the number of wineries in the area is also growing. One of these Wineries is Shannon Ridge. They were founded in 2002 and currently produce about 13,000 cases of wine. Their winery sits on 1,000 acres in Lake County. Eventually they plan to have between 60 and 70 percent of that land under vine.  The rest will be preserved for the wildlife that roam the area in and around them.

Sauvignon Blanc is one of 3 whites Shannon Ridge made in the 2006 vintage. It hits you immediately with a big nose full of citrus and guava notes. The first sips are surprising considering how big the nose is. This Sauvignon Blanc hits the palate gently at first. The citrus is present but not overwhelming.  The mid palate of this wine is quite delightful. It absolutely dances on the tongue, balancing citrus, gooseberry and a nice acidity. It fills the mouth, but drinks smoothly with no sharp edges. The finish is significant, long enough in fact to be noticeable and impressive. Although this Sauvignon Blanc drinks beautifully on it's own, it will also pair well with a variety of different foods. I found it to be a wonderful match with Chinese Pork Dumplings. The suggested retail price is $16.00 although Wine-Searcher.com shows it can be found in some shops for a few dollars less. Well worth the money.

At just over 3,700 cases the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon stands as Shannon Ridge's largest production of 2006. The Sauvignon Blanc was close at 3,600 cases. The Cabernet has berries on the nose and the first sip reveals a touch of tartness. This likely comes from the 10% Petite Verdot that was blended in. After the wine had time to breathe that touch of tartness softened up and the wine had a more luxurious quality to it. White pepper is the story of this Cabernet's mid palate. If you enjoy the spice on your tongue and the back of your throat that comes from those peppery notes this is indeed a Cabernet to seek out. Along with the spice there are lots of deep, dark berry notes present. A touch of oak shows up but does not overwhelm the palate in any way. This is definitely a Cabernet that is ready to drink now. It will also marry well with a wide variety of foods. I had it with pork and it was a nice accompaniment. It's is however a Cabernet Sauvignon that is smooth enough to enjoy on it's own. The suggested retail price is $19.00 but Wine-Searcher once again shows it can be found for a couple of dollars less in some instances. A solid Cabernet to drink in it's youth and a must for lovers of strong white pepper notes.

Significantly smaller in production than the other two wines is their 2006 Syrah. This less than 1,500 case lot has 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petite Verdot blended in. The first thing that hit me from this Syrah was a huge nose filled with Blackberries. Sipping it the Syrah reveals itself to be pretty big and bold. There is a bit of jam that brings to mind Zinfandel. That thought only lingers briefly though. The mid palate brings on some mocha notes and more dark berry fruit. This Syrah is full bodied, mouth filling and an absolute pleasure to drink. The finish has blueberry notes as well as a hint of malted chocolate. It lingers on the palate for a good long while. A treat to drink on it's own this Syrah will pair well with roasted meats, BBQ and perhaps even dark chocolate among others. Retail on this wine is also $19.00. As with the others I found it to be fairly priced.

All three wines I previewed from Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery are enjoyable and worth seeking out. However, I found the Sauvignon Blanc to be the most unique of the three and worth going that extra mile to find if you have to. In the grand scheme of things Shannon Ridge are a fairly young operation. With these wines, they show themselves to be one to watch.