I couldn’t help myself.  The extra packaging sold me on this wine, I just had to try it.  I did not care for the 2008 Reserve Shiraz that much and figured I would give this vintage a chance to shine.

A beautiful nose of blueberry and vanilla with some ripe plums got me very excited.  The initial attack was very tasty indeed, showing off the plums and berries with some pretty forceful tannins.  I was bothered by the balance of the wine though and wondered why.  I am no expert but there was a certain component that was out of line and it took about 3 hours for it to sort itself out.  The wine then became much nicer to drink and I could enjoy the dryness of the tannins and the medium acidity.  The fruit remained prevalent, never swaying.  This Barossa Shiraz cost me about $12 and should be widely available. I think it could use another 2 years in a cellar to help with the balance and should evolve into a nice weekday dinner wine.  3 stars and 87 points from me.  Salut….